


Bokuto’s Family

by Amber_Dahlia



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Down Character(s), Aged-Up Character(s), Akaashi Keiji’s Parents own an animal clinic, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst, Anxiety, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Getting Together, Hunters, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kageyama Tobio is Suga and Daichi’s son, Kuroo Tetsurou is a Good Friend, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, Panic Attacks, References to Depression, Sawamura Daichi is the leader of a hunting party, Sex, Slow Burn, Sugawara Koushi owns a cafe, Vet Student Akaashi Keiji, Vet Student Kuroo Tetsurou, Werewolf Bokuto Koutarou, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:34:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 192,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26053543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amber_Dahlia/pseuds/Amber_Dahlia
Summary: After Bokuto Koutarou, a young werewolf, loses everything that is dear to him, he has to find a way to continue living. Alone and desperate for help Bokuto meets Akaashi Keiji and Kuroo Tetsurou, two Veterinary Technician students. Although Kuroo is hesitant at first, the three of them end up living together under the same roof. Bokuto teaches them the meaning of family, and they give the lost werewolf a reason to live. A special bond begins to form between Bokuto and Akaashi as they take on the world together, joined by many new friends along the way.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Terushima Yuuji/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 91
Kudos: 208





	1. The Sendai Massacre

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time ever writing something like this, let alone sharing it with others, so it might not be great. I’m definitely not the best writer, so please excuse all spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. I hope the story isn’t too bad or boring. 
> 
> I will put warnings in the notes before each chapter to indicate any type of violence or sexual behaviour. If for whatever reason you do not wish to read those parts, I will indicate where they begin and end in the notes. Therefore, you can skip the parts you feel uncomfortable or don’t want to read. The notes at the end of each chapter will give you a quick summary of the important things that happened in case you forget or skip over certain parts. 
> 
> Please feel free to leave comments and kudos or whatever else you want. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the story!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mild Violence  
> This chapter contains mild mentions of gun and knife violence as well as death.  
> If you wish to skip this part of the story stop reading on the paragraph that starts out like 'It was raining harder now...' and pick it up on the paragraph that starts out like 'Suga wasn't born into the hunting business...'
> 
> If you do skip this part of the story you can read the notes at the end of this chapter. They will highlight all of the important points covered in this chapter, so that you still get all the important information needed to understand what is going on.

Daichi had just gotten off the phone with one of the government officials that gave his party their tasks to be carried out. He wandered back to the dinning room table where his family was waiting for him. The food was finished and placed on the table ready to be eaten. Daichi took his place at the head of the table with Suga on his right and Tobio on his left. As he sat down Suga passed him the vegetables, and the three of them began to fill their plates. Once everyone’s plate was full, they began eating in silence. Tobio was the first to break that silence.

“Did we get another job?” He asked, his mouth stuffed with potatoes.

“Remember to swallow your food before you talk Tobio.” Suga reminded him, glancing expectantly over at his husband for an answer to the previous question.

“Yes. That was one of the government officials from the hunting office. We have another job and it appears to be a big one this time.”

Tobio looked over at his father with excitement showing on his face. “When do we leave?”

“This weekend. Looks like I will have to contact the rest of the team, and maybe even some extra help.”

“Wow. It must be a big operation if the team alone can’t handle it.” Suga chimed in.

The three finished their food. After supper Daichi disappeared into his office to make the necessary phone calls and preparations for their hunting party. Tobio helped Suga clear the table and wash the dishes.

“This is going to be so exciting!” Tobio shrieked. “Its been awhile since our last big operation.”

“Well it should be interesting at least.” Suga said as he dried the last plate and handed it to Tobio to be put away.

* * *

The week flew by in no time, and it was now Friday night the day before their big operation commenced. Everyone had finally arrived, and they were all seated in the Sawamura gathering hall made specifically for this purpose. Daichi took his place in front of the large group of people to explain their newest operation. Before he could even start, however, another man stood from his seat and spoke up.

“This must be a pretty big operation if you had to call in Iwa-chan and myself plus more outside help. Just what are we getting ourselves into here?” The pretty man with the nicely styled brown hair and big twinkling brown eyes asked.

Another man seated beside him grabbed his arm and yanked him down into his seat forcefully. “Daichi was just about to explain that before you so rudely interrupted him Shittykawa!”

“Yes, thank you Iwaizumi. Oikawa, we do indeed have a big operation planned and I will need the help of everyone here to make it happen.” Daichi drew the crowd’s attention back to himself so he could continue his explanation. “The government has received solid information about a large pack of werewolves living in the forest north of Sendai. Before anyone asks, yes there are hunting parties closer to that area, but the government believes it would be best if my team handles it with some extra help of course. We are to depart early tomorrow for Sendai. Once we arrive in Sendai, I’ll have my team do a little sweep of the area to see what we are up against, and then Kenma will devise a proper plan. We are to carry out our mission the following day without leaving a single one of them alive. Thank you for your time and attention. I will see you all tomorrow.”

Everyone got up from their seats, most moved towards the doors to leave while others remained until there were only eleven people left. They all crowded around Daichi to receive further information about their task. The man known as Iwaizumi walked over to the crowd with the one known as Oikawa at his side.

“I assume you will be needing Iwa-chan and I for your little recon mission, right?” Oikawa asked.

“Of course, we will Tooru!” Suga responded.

“Suga-chan!!” Oikawa exclaimed, running over to and hugging the older silver-haired hunter. “How’s the family? Tobio?”

“Shut it Crappykawa! We need to discuss our plans for tomorrow.” Iwaizumi cut in with a hard glare directed at his partner.

“You know for the best hunting duo in Japan, you two sure do fight a lot.” A short boy with one tuft of blond hair in the front of his head stepped out of the crowd with a small grin on his face.

“I don’t want to hear that from a 16-year-old boy who dropped out of high school.” A tall man with his long brown hair pulled back into a bun placed his hand on the short one’s shoulder to dissuade any further confrontation. “Sorry about him he’s still new to the team. Only joined about a year ago, so he still has lots to learn including his manners.”

Oikawa stuck his tongue out at the boy earning him an elbow in the side from Iwaizumi. Then Daichi waved them all over him.

“It seems like we are in need of a few introductions and maybe a little catch up before we will be able to discuss our plans.” Daichi said slightly annoyed. “As most of you already know, but for those of you who are new, I am Daichi Sawamura. I'm head of the Sawamura household as well as leader of this hunting party.” Daichi placed his hand around Suga’s waist to pull him closer. “This is my lovely husband Sugawara Koushi. He is an awesome long-range shot. Our son Tobio who has been accompanying us on missions for about three months now.”

Oikawa looked at the young boy with surprise. "So, they finally agreed to let you help out on actual missions. How old are you now?”

“I am 14 almost 15!” Tobio replied happily.

“Anyways.” Daichi cut in clearing his throat. “Azumane Asahi, head of the Azumane household and my personal best friend. He is very quick and efficient with a gun and is currently training one of our newest members Nishinoya Yuu. Yuu is great with animals so we have him training the dogs to track and it has been going very well, but he still needs work on his gun and knife handling. Tanaka Ryuunosuke is our crossbow expert. Then there are the two newest members Ennoshita Chikara, and Tsukishima Kei. Both were sent to us through the government selection and training process. Ennoshita is good with a gun long-range or a close shot, and Tsukishima has a small handgun that he uses. Then of course there is the brains behind our operations Kozume Kenma. He pretty much plans out everything.” Daichi looked over to Iwaizumi and Oikawa. “I will let the power duo introduce themselves.”

“I am Iwaizumi Hajime, half of the Japan renowned hunter duo. This is Oikawa Tooru, my crappy partner as well as my childhood friend.”

“Mean Iwa-chan!” Oikawa whined. “I wanted to introduce myself! Oh, and we are also dating so don’t get any funny ideas. I know I'm pretty, but I'm taken.” Oikawa clung onto Iwaizumi’s arm.

“like anyone would like you anyways Dumbkawa!” Iwaizumi huffed.

After the introductions of all the members everyone gathered around Daichi as he explained the recon plan Kenma had previously come up with.

* * *

Once in Sendai Daichi’s hunting party plus Iwaizumi and Oikawa used the dogs to track the whereabouts of the werewolves. Three hours later they received a message from Nishinoya. His dogs had tracked them to the middle of a forest about 40km north of Sendai city. Everyone met up at the location Nishinoya gave them for surveillance. It appeared to be a village in the middle of the forest, no roads, no cars, no TVs. These people were living a very primitive lifestyle compared to the rest of Japan.

“Are they werewolves then?” Daichi asked, but he was fairly sure he already knew the answer based on how they were living.

“The dogs seem to think so. They brought me all the way out here, and then when they saw them, they started going nuts.” Nishinoya responded patting one of his dogs' head.

“Have you seen any of them change yet?” Daichi demanded.

“No, Sir! I have been here watching them for about an hour now waiting for you and the others, and I have yet to see a single one of them change.”

Daichi seemed to be thinking over his options carefully when Asahi called them over. Nishinoya and Daichi crouched beside him behind a bush. They were looking at a tall woman with long black hair leaving the village. The three decided to trail her staying far enough back that she wouldn’t see them and using their training to stay as quiet as possible, so they wouldn’t be heard. Once the woman was a fair distance from the village she paused and checked her surroundings before changing into a large black-furred wolf. The three men immediately retreated knowing that once transformed the already sensitive senses of a werewolf would become even more acute and they couldn’t risk being found out. Once they managed to regroup with the others, they explained what they had seen. The group came to the decision that the werewolves probably had a rule against transforming in the village in case of this kind of situation; however, they still needed to be sure that it wasn’t just the one wolf. Daichi directed his group to spread out and wait a little ways away from the village and watch the people that wandered out of the village. After four hours of surveillance the team regrouped and shared their findings. Daichi was now convinced that all these people were werewolves. His team had reported seeing every person that left the village transform into a wolf once they were a fair distance away from it. Daichi and his team camped out far enough away from the werewolf village to not be detected. Kenma explained the plan he came up with and Daichi messaged the other hunters their whereabouts and what time they would meet up to commence their assault. Kenma had suggested their plan take place tomorrow night when it was dark, and they could use their night vision glasses and the wolves wouldn’t be as on guard. This gave them plenty of time to debrief the rest of the hunters that would show up tomorrow and get all the necessary equipment ready.

* * *

It was the day the hunters had their night assault planned. The rest of the hunters that were going to participate in the assault had arrived and been told of their plan. Kenma really outdid himself on this plan. This was probably one of the biggest operations they had ever tried. There were at least twenty werewolves living in this little village, probably more if the kids were included. Werewolves tended not to start training their kids to fight until they were around twelve years of age; therefore, the younger ones were defenseless and weren’t accounted for when hunters planned an assault. Kenma’s plan was for half the team to walk in through the front, which would most likely cause panic and the stronger werewolves would move to the front lines to protect the others. While they were distracted fighting their best hunters two thirds of the remaining forces would follow Iwaizumi and Oikawa to flank the sides, and the hunters that remained would take the cars and cut off the last escape route any of the wolves would try to take at the back.

There was now only two hours remaining before the hunters barged into the village and slaughtered every wolf in sight, and it had started raining. The rain was something that Kenma had predicted and accounted for in their plan. He urged the hunters to take raincoats, wear their boots with grips, and account for slightly slower timing due to the slippery conditions. Even though it was accounted for in the plan Daichi couldn’t shake the slight irritation at the mission being slightly more difficult than he deemed necessary. They were already dealing with one of the largest packs of werewolves they had ever dealt with and now it was raining making the possibility for error slightly higher. Daichi shook off the feeling once he saw Suga walking towards him with slight worry in his eyes and a rather grim expression for his beautiful face. Suga always knew when he was stressed even if it was only a little bit.

“You’re ready for this. Kenma’s plan is flawless, your hunters are aware of the situation and ready to follow your orders. The only thing left to do is give the order, and the plan will play out perfectly like it usually does.” Suga’s words were comforting to Daichi, and he was right. Everything was already set in motion; He just needed to press the start button and trust his fellow hunters.

It was raining harder now and Daichi raised his hand to give the signal to attack. Daichi, Asahi, Noya, Tsukishima, and Tobio all advanced on the small village. They had their night vision glasses on and could see perfectly despite it being dark; they went in guns blazing and throwing sharp, heavy knives that were made for the very purpose of killing werewolves. Every person they shot or hit with a knife in the right spot dropped dead and transformed into a wolf. Suga, Ennoshita, and Tanaka stayed a little further back from the chaos shooting bullets and arrows from a distance as back up for their front line. A few minutes into the assault and the wolves had already started to scatter and retreat. That’s when Iwaizumi and Oikawa each led their own team on either side of the village to push the wolves back together and make them easier targets all bunched up in the center of the village. The hunters that were supposed to bring up the rear of the village were slightly later than planned due to the rain making the ground muddy and harder to drive through. This allowed for a couple more wolves than expected to escape through the back. Of course, it was nothing they couldn’t handle. They managed to track down all the wolves and put and end to them swiftly. A little while after the hunters thought they were done they heard a wolf cry out. It was a loud howl to a sky without a visible moon, probably calling out for the others who were dead. They went back and dealt with the complication that must have been hiding somewhere in the village that nobody had noticed. That was almost a grave mistake; leaving a bunch of wolf puppies alive to fester in hatred for humans over what happened to their village could be seriously dangerous in the future. They had also managed to capture a rare prize that night. In the end everything had been dealt with and the mission was a success.

Once they were back at camp the hunters all settled for the night feeling very accomplished for the hard job they had managed to pull off. There had been a couple small mistakes, but everything was solved in the end and that was what mattered. Everyone was asleep except for Suga who laid awake looking up at the moonless night sky. He couldn’t help but notice that this had gone very differently from most of their missions and it got him thinking. After attacking the werewolves on most missions the wolves first reactions were to attack them and put up a good fight, but the more he thought about tonight the more he realized these wolves had all tried to flee upon seeing them. Even the ones that had not run away only stood in front of the weaker ones trying to protect their loved ones the best they could. With all the chaos that Suga had seen that night he hadn’t seen a single snarl or wolf with bared teeth, he hadn’t even heard a single growl. There was only one wolf that growled and bared its teeth at them, but with what they had done to that wolf, Suga deemed the wolf's reaction fair and didn't count it. Upon further inspection of his memories none of them apart from one had even transformed into a wolf to protect themselves. The only wolves present were ones that had transformed after being shot dead or hit in a vital point with a knife. This display of fear and panic that the werewolves had presented today made Suga question all his other missions. Every mission he had been on the wolves had never attacked first they had always ended up on the defensive. His eyes widened with astonishment how could he have not seen this before. They were slaughtering innocent lives that were only trying with everything in their power to protect themselves and their loved ones. If they didn’t fight back, they died.

Even with all the senseless slaughter of the night the one thing that struck his heart the most was that sad sorrow filled howl by that one wolf that broke the silence of the night and echoed through the forest. That wolf had felt sad, anger, but above all else complete and udder despair and loss. Even after that heartfelt cry the hunters had gone back and killed every last one of those defenseless puppies that had been hidden in the bushes out of sight from the hunters. Perhaps the cruelest thing of all they had taken the lone survivor back with them alive because he had a rare pelt that would fetch a good price on the black market, and those people only accepted the animals alive. The animals had to be alive so that they could put the pelt through a series of processes while the animal was still alive to maintain a good quality product. Suga was disgusted with himself; when did he decide that these people (because they were still technically human after all) deserved death and to be treated like nothing more than a product.

Suga wasn’t born into the hunting business like Daichi was. He had married in, and every story he had ever heard about werewolves came from other hunters. Daichi’s grandfather was one of the first hunters because he had been a survivor of the attack that led the government to believe that werewolves were dangerous creatures and needed to be disposed of. It was known to the public that werewolves existed for thousands of years and that they lived among humans like any other person. There was a supposed peaceful existence between werewolves and regular people. After one incident where a pack of werewolves decided to attack a human village and slaughter so many innocents lives the government acted. Perhaps in the wrong direction though. They formed a secret society not known to the public under the pretext of the citizens safety. They trained werewolf hunters and made sure the stories were passed down through the generations so that it could become a sort of family business that would never die out. Daichi belonged to one of those families his mom was a born hunter and his father married in and they carried on the tradition of exacting revenge on werewolves. Suga paused in his thoughts for a moment. Still staring at the sky as tears began to stream down his face. What gave them as humans the right to _murder_ innocent lives because they were different. With that as his last thought and tears still silently streaming down his cheeks, Suga closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the first chapter:
> 
> \- Daichi gets a hunting mission from the government and informs his husband and their son about the situation over dinner.  
> \- Daichi holds a meeting to discuss the plan for the mission with everyone who will be participating. He also takes the opportunity to introduce all the members of his party plus Iwaizumi and Oikawa because he has a couple new recruits who aren't familiar with anyone.  
> \- Nishinoya tracks the werewolves to a small village north of Sendai city.  
> \- Kenma formulates a plan to be carried out by the hunters so their mission is successful. He debriefs everyone on the plan. The mission is carried out with a couple mistakes but overall it is a success.  
> \- The mission leaves all the werewolves in the village dead except for one that they keep to sell for its rare fur color.  
> \- Suga realizes that none of the werewolves had fought back or showed any signs of aggression during the mission. This causes him to start to doubt that what they are doing is actually right.


	2. Rainy Day Encounter

Akaashi and Kuroo were on their way home from work; They worked part time as assistants during the summer in the animal clinic that Akaashi’s parents own. Both boys were in the same class, at the same university, studying to become Vet Techs. They met in their first year of university and had been good friends ever since. Earlier that day the sky was a lovely clear blue, and the sun was shinning, so they decided to walk the twenty minutes it took to get from their house to the clinic. At least one of them would come to regret that decision because the walk home would be less than pleasant. The forecast hadn’t mentioned anything about rain but after work they were greeted by thick gray storm clouds and pelting rain. Due to the previous sunny conditions neither of them had brought a jacket or an umbrella, and they would be forced to walk home in the pouring rain. Kuroo suggested that they take a shortcut through the forest to save some time and also use the trees as partial cover from the rain. Kuroo was in the lead and set a quick pace, he wanted to get home as soon as possible. Akaashi, however, was much fonder of the rain; he loved its smell, he loved its sound, and it felt nice on his skin. He was walking behind Kuroo at a slightly slower pace before coming to a complete stop and taking a moment to soak up everything he loved about the rain. Akaashi stood with his head tilted back raised to the sky. He let the rain drops run down his face and closed his eyes so he could enjoy its sound to the fullest.

“Hey, slowpoke are you coming or what?” Kuroo said with an almost disgusted tone.

Akaashi hummed in response. “Just enjoying the rain for a minute.”

Akaashi slowly opened his eyes; it took a moment before he was able to blink away all the rain and regain clear vision. As his surroundings came back into focus around him, Akaashi noticed something large and white ahead of them near a large tree.

“Kuroo-san, what is that?” He nodded toward the big tree in front of them.

Kuroo turned around to see what Akaashi was referring to, and his gaze landed on a giant white pile of fur underneath a large tree. Kuroo walked up to it and knelt beside it for closer inspection. Kuroo could see the very faint rise and fall that indicated breathing. It was an animal of some sort, and it was barely clinging to life. While Kuroo had been taking a closer look, Akaashi had walked up to join him. 

“I think it looks like a giant dog of some sort.” Akaashi stated.

Kuroo took another glance before his eyes widened in realization. It was indeed a giant dog of some sort, but probably not the kind Akaashi had been thinking.

“Akaashi, it’s a wolf.”

“A Wolf? Are you sure?”

“Yes. I'm positive.” Kuroo’s voice had a tinge of fear to it as he backed away slowly. “We need to get out of here.”

“What?” Akaashi stammered in surprise. “We can’t leave it out here. Look, it’s injured.”

Akaashi looked over at Kuroo with pleading eyes. He had no choice but to give in when Akaashi gave him that look. They were studying to become Vet Techs, and Akaashi planned on continuing his studies to become a Vet. What kind of vets would they be if they left a hurt animal that was barely alive out in the cold rain? Kuroo looked around for some way to move the animal back to their house, but there was nothing in sight. Then he took off running toward their house yelling at Akaashi to stay put. Akaashi leaned down over the large animal and ran his fingers through the thick white fur. He wasn’t sure if the animal could hear him or not, but he was whispering sweet reassuring words near the animal’s ears. Upon further inspection Akaashi could tell that Kuroo was right, this was indeed a wolf, and a strikingly beautiful one at that. Akaashi was now peering over at the large gash down the wolf’s left leg; It would need to be cleaned and wrapped and possibly stitched up.

Kuroo’s scenic route home through the forest was a great idea; it allowed them to find and aid the wolf they'd found. It also meant that the time it would take to get home would be cut in half and every minute saved was precious to the wolf laying on the ground. Kuroo appeared through the forest with a wooden sled. Akaashi was confused about where he got it: he didn’t remember having a sled. Although, that hardly mattered. It was a great idea! If they could get the wolf onto the sled it would be easy to drag it back to the house. Kuroo brought the sled as close as possible, and the two men rolled the wolf over and onto the sled with a little difficulty. Once they arrived at the house, they had some trouble getting the wolf up the steps and through the door.

“So, where exactly are we putting this big thing?” Kuroo asked.

“Umm… Let's bring it to my room so I can dry it off and clean its wound.”

Kuroo nodded, and they drug the sled to Akaashi’s room. They proceeded to lift the wolf onto the bed with much difficulty, and then toweled the animal dry. Akaashi grabbed some of his work supplies and cleaned out the wound on the animal’s left leg. After the wound was properly disinfected, he began bandaging the leg to keep out anything that could create an infection.

“So… What exactly are we going to do with a wolf?” Kuroo said what had been on his mind since he saw the creature in the forest.

“We will take care of it until it recovers, of course.”

“What about when it recovers? What are you going to do then?”

“We can figure that out when it wakes up.” Akaashi assured the older male.

“Akaashi! You know what that thing is, right? It could be dangerous! We really should call someone about this.” Kuroo was now almost yelling, anger and a tinge of fear were evident in his voice.

“Who are we going to call? You know that it's still part human!” Akaashi had raised his voice unintentionally and took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing. “Everything will be fine Kuroo-san.”

* * *

The wolf woke up to the strange feeling of something squishy underneath him and a strange warmth he hadn’t felt in days. His eyes slowly opened to take in his surroundings. He was somewhere unfamiliar and surrounded by unfamiliar scents. A flood of memories came crashing like waves back to his conscious mind. The wolf jumped to his feet so fast he slipped off the squishy thing underneath him. It was a bed. He was in a room. He was in a house, a human’s house, and he was still in wolf form. Panic was now rising within him. Then the bedroom door shot open and a fairly tall man with short black curly hair and dark forest green eyes entered. He had probably heard the commotion from when the wolf fell off the bed. The man stopped in his tracks upon seeing the wolf standing on the ground.

“Akaashi, what’s going on?” Kuroo called from the next room over.

Akaashi looked back at the door through which he had entered. “He's awake.”

There was some scrambling outside the room and then another taller man with horrible black bed hair entered the room to stand behind Akaashi. The wolf immediately jumped back up onto the bed to be eye level with the two humans standing in the doorway. His golden eyes that were locked on to Akaashi’s dark green ones wandered over to inspect the newcomer. The other one known as Kuroo gave the wolf a bad feeling. Kuroo was standing in the doorway behind Akaashi with a grim look on his face and he was stiff, his hands were clenched at his sides and he reeked of fear. The wolf had come to learn that the smell of fear or anger on a human was an unbelievably bad thing, especially for a wolf in his position. This situation could cost him his life, he had to be very careful about how he handled this. The wolf puffed up his fur, stiffened his muscles, and stood up taller and more alert to appear bigger and threatening. Kuroo had obviously received the message loud and clear because he backed up until he was outside of the bedroom. The wolf relaxed a little and returned his gaze to Akaashi who hadn’t moved at all. After relaxing a little the wolf had finally become aware of the sharp pain shooting up his left leg from the weight he was putting on it. He sat down on the bed to take the weight off the injured leg making sure to keep his eyes on the two strangers.

“Hey, how are you? I bet you’re a little bit confused right now, and I promise to explain everything but first I need to check your wound and change your bandage.” Akaashi began speaking in a calming voice as he approached the wolf cautiously with his hands slightly raised over head in front of him.

For some reason, the wolf found himself loving the calming effect of Akaashi’s voice, and he allowed the man to approach him. Once Akaashi reached the bed he sat on it a little distance away from the wolf to take off the pressure of being approached head on and avoid confrontation. It seemed to work seeing as how the wolf hadn’t gotten more uptight or moved away. Upon seeing Akaashi sit so close to the wolf Kuroo thought he should renter the room to be closer in case anything happened. The moment he set foot in the room he gained a low menacing growl from the wolf who had stiffened back up and torn his gaze from Akaashi to glare at Kuroo. Kuroo was frozen in his tracks, he smelled horribly of fear and his eyes were fixed on the wolf glaring daggers at him. Akaashi had a look of surprise on his face at both Kuroo and the wolf’s reactions.

“Kuroo-san maybe you should sit down over there.” Akaashi had managed to conceal the surprise from leaking into his voice, and he pointed at a wall on the left of the dresser next to the doorway.

Kuroo managed to look away from the wolf who still held a growl in his throat and nodded at Akaashi. He then made his way over to the wall and sat down on the floor leaned against the wall. The wolf ceased his growling and laid down on the bed next to Akaashi careful to keep an eye on Kuroo. Akaashi turned to face the wolf and looked down at his leg.

“Now, I do need to clean and rebandage that.”

The wolf looked up at him, and Akaashi slowly moved his hand to reach for the wolf’s leg so he could take off the bandage. The wolf flinched away at the touch but then relaxed when the man had paused to give him a minute. Akaashi reached out to try again but this time he was able to touch the wolf without much of a reaction. He took off the bandage and reached over to his nightstand and opened the draw to bring out the cleaning supplies. He allowed the wolf to smell the products before cleaning the wound. The wolf let out a quiet weak growl that caused Kuroo to stiffen across the room. Akaashi who had not pulled away in the slightest at the growl looked across the room at Kuroo.

“Kuro-san you really need to relax before you get my hand bitten off. That wasn’t an aggressive growl, the saline just stung a bit and caused him some pain.”

Kuroo relaxed back into the wall while Akaashi finished wrapping the wolf’s leg. The ebony-haired man grabbed his pillow and a blanket before leaving the room, with Kuroo following closely behind. Akaashi decided to sleep on the couch for the night and let the wolf stay where he was comfortable on Akaashi’s bed. Kuroo retired to his room; he was met by an overexcited puppy when he opened the door. He had closed his dog in his room since they had brought the wolf into the house just in case of anything happening. He pushed his dog back into his room closing the door behind him.

After both men left the room and closed the door, the wolf hopped off the bed and found a place to hide himself. He squeezed himself under the bed to the side farthest away from the door and curled up close to the wall. He allowed himself to close his eyes but never let himself become too complacent. He dozed off to sleep still hyperaware and ready to act if the need should arise.

* * *

The door to Akaashi’s bedroom opened and a pair of feet walked up to the bed. Akaashi had woken up earlier than usual and thought he should check on their guest staying in his room; however, he was surprised when he was met with the sight of an empty bed and no wolf to be seen anywhere. He looked all around the room before his eyes came back to the empty bed and he realized there was only one place such a big animal could hide. Akaashi knelt down next to the bed and cautiously stuck his head under. He was met with bright golden eyes staring at him.

“What are you doing under there? Come out and let me check your leg.”

At Akaashi’s request the wolf struggled out from under the bed. He was almost all the way out when he heard the bedroom door open and saw Kuroo. The taller man paused at the door for a second before proceeding to sit against the same wall he had the night before. The wolf practically ignored him and jumped up on the bed to sit beside Akaashi.

“He really seems to like you. How come he only hates me?” Kuroo said.

“He doesn’t hate you Kuroo-san, he's just afraid of you. There is a difference.”

“Sure, I would totally growl at someone that I didn’t hate.” Kuroo scoffed sarcastically.

“It is a little odd that he is so cautious around you though. I wonder why that is?” Akaashi replied thoughtfully.

The ebony-haired man checked the wolf’s wound and changed the bandage. A couple days passed by the same way: Akaashi sleeping on the couch, the wolf under the bed, and Kuroo spending most days and nights locked in his room with his pets. Akaashi changed the wolf’s bandage every day while Kuroo watched from his spot on the wall. Until one day Akaashi finally got tired of sleeping on the uncomfortable couch. It was late and time for the two men to go to sleep. Akaashi grabbed his pillow and blanket and took them back to his room. Kuroo followed him in hesitantly.

“You aren’t actually going to sleep in the same room as that thing, are you? What if it hurts you while you're sleeping?” Kuroo said while flailing his hands in the air dramatically.

“Kuroo-san please. I am tired and want to go to sleep without arguing with you.”

“Then you should stay on the couch again tonight, just to be sure.”

Akaashi whipped around to look at Kuroo. “I _do not_ want to sleep on the couch another night! I want my bed; the wolf doesn’t even sleep on the bed. And honestly, if he wanted to hurt me, he could have done it a long time ago. He has been here for five days without any incident.”

The wolf sensed the tension rising not wanting to be in the middle of it, he jumped off the bed and went to lay in the far corner of the room.

“Akaashi listen at least don’t let him stay in the room with you.”

“What other option do I have? Do you want to stay in the room with him instead and I will take your room?”

“No, but…”

Akaashi cut him off with another retort. “Do you want to try and get him out of the room?”

“You know what? I will because I care about your safety!” Kuroo yelled before stomping over to the corner where the wolf was laying.

Akaashi went to grab Kuroo by the wrist and tell him to stop, but he was too late, and the words hadn’t left his mouth in time. Kuroo obviously hadn’t thought this through. He was in a bad mood, angry, and stomping up to a wolf who was already wary of him. He hadn’t been able to approach the wolf while in a good mindset, so whatever made him think he could now, was beyond Akaashi. Kuroo obviously hadn’t noticed the tension rising in the wolf who was now standing to meet Kuroo with the fur on his back raised and an intense gaze telling the man not to come any closer. Kuroo ignored the warning and continued his approach.

He had a horrible stench reeking of anger and he was approaching the wolf with a quick pace. The wolf could feel the fear rising in his stomach and stood up abruptly with his fur puffed up to look more intimidating. He even added a sharp glare to get his point across. The wolf was really hoping his warning would be enough but when it wasn’t, he let out a loud deep growl baring his teeth. At his second warning the man approaching him seemed to hesitate for a second before pushing forward. As he got close, he reached out his hand as if to grab the collar of a misbehaving dog. Kuroo was sorely mistaken this was no dog, and he wasn’t misbehaving; He thought he had to protect his life. The wolf lunged forward snapping and growling at the outstretched hand. Kuroo jumped back and screeched in fear. At the sound of his friend’s scream Akaashi leaped in front of the wolf, who was surprised by the stern but calm face the man had. The wolf immediately backed down and cowered in the corner, shutting his eyes tightly as if expecting to be hit. Akaashi looked back at his friend and pointed out of the room.

“Get out **NOW** before you make the situation worse!”

Kuroo was shocked at the stern command his friend had given him; he had never known Akaashi to speak like that, but he obeyed. Kuroo left the room glancing back over his shoulder to see Akaashi let out a big sigh. There was the slight sound of the door closing before Akaashi dared approach the wolf. He was still cowering in the corner with his ears flattened against his head and his eyes shut tightly. Akaashi wondered to himself what could have caused such a big, strong, and beautiful animal to become so terrified of people. Akaashi walked over calmly and crouched next to the wolf, when there was no reaction, he placed his hand on the wolf’s head which earned him a flinch and the creature's whole body began to tremble. Akaashi stroked the animal’s head and hummed softly. He whispered words of reassurance: it’s okay, I am not going to hurt you, and you are safe now. After ten minutes the wolf stopped shaking and his breathing slowed and deepened indicating he had fallen asleep. Akaashi rose from his place at the wolf’s side and retrieved his blanket and placed it over the wolf before getting into bed himself.

The next morning Akaashi and Kuroo sat at the table eating breakfast in silence, and the wolf hadn’t moved from his spot in the corner of Akaashi’s room. Akaashi decided to be the first to break the awkward silence.

“Are you alright now, Kuroo-san?”

“I’m fine… It was my own stupid mistake in the first place. I mean, what was I thinking? I work with animals for a living, you would think I would be able to understand what they are trying to say to me… especially when it was that clear.” Kuroo sighed in defeat.

“Yep. That was definitely stupid Kuroo-san.” Akaashi gave him a small smile.

“So, umm… How is he then?” Kuroo asked shyly.

“Well… honestly I am not so sure. Last night he was so terrified he was shaking and then he fell asleep as if his body was exhausted from not having slept in days. I think he has been on such high alert lately and that was the last straw to drain every bit of energy he had in him. He was awake when I woke up this morning, but he wouldn’t look at me and hasn’t moved from that corner.”

“Well, shit! I had no idea he was so stressed he wasn’t sleeping properly. Why can’t he just make this easier on all of us and turn back into a human?”

Akaashi shrugged his shoulders in response. He had been wondering the same thing, the gesture would put Kuroo-san more at ease and therefore the wolf. There must be a reason for him not showing them his human form. Perhaps, he felt too vulnerable in his human form, seeing as how jumpy he was in his wolf form. After the two finished breakfast they decided to start the day off by watching a movie out in the living room, partially to try and lure the wolf out of Akaashi’s room, and partially to get the two boys into a better mood than last night. Akaashi had left his bedroom door open for the first time since the wolf had stayed with them in hopes he would come out and get more comfortable around them, but it didn’t look like that was happening anytime soon. Kuroo entered his room to go get the movie they were planning on watching when a white and black flash darted past him the moment he opened the door.

“Misty!” He yelled. “Stop! Wait! Don’t go in there!”

A hyper one-year-old Dalmatian puppy raced into Akaashi’s bedroom. She was probably sick and tired of being locked up for the past five days, today being the sixth. Kuroo closed his door so as not to release his other pet and ran after the dog. Akaashi quit washing the dishes as he saw Misty run past him and followed quickly after Kuroo. He prayed the wolf wouldn’t do anything to the dog, that would only further Kuroo’s concerns, and they would probably have to get rid of the wolf, and... Akaashi’s mind was spinning out thinking of all the horrible possibilities and worse case scenarios, he hadn’t even noticed when Kuroo stopped and he crashed into the other’s back. Then he peeked his head around his friend to see what he was staring at with such wide eyes. Misty was curled up next to the wolf, her tail wagging happily as she saw the two men, and the wolf’s head was rested over her back.

Kuroo cautiously began approaching the wolf. He still had a vivid picture in his head of the last time: the huge animal puffed up to twice his regular size, lunging, snarling, and snapping at him with those big pointy teeth. A shiver ran down his spine, and he paused for a moment and looked at the wolf. This time he was not greeted with a growl, or fur sticking straight up, not even an intense warning gaze. The wolf had pressed himself further into Misty’s side covering his face with his tail and trembling vigorously. Although Akaashi had always told him it was out of fear, he never truly believed him until now. His eyes rested upon what he had deemed a ferocious animal in such a pathetic and weak state. Kuroo softened his gaze and calmed himself getting rid of the picture from last night that lingered in his head and resumed his approach. This time however he would approach the wolf confidently, calmly, and cautiously. When he was finally standing in front of the wolf, he opted to not corner the animal a second time and stepped to the side leaving the wolf a way to escape him if he so desired. Kuroo reached out, but instead of touching the wolf he petted Misty’s head as she panted happily. The wolf removed his tail from his face and caught sight of Kuroo petting the dog. Akaashi who had stayed back to observe held his breath ready to jump in if the need should arise, but it didn’t. the wolf had simply gotten up and hurried away with his tail between his legs. Kuroo looked after him with a slightly sad look on his face.

“This is my fault. Now he is even more afraid of me, and he trusts you slightly less because you stepped in to protect me.” Kuroo said sadly.

“Don’t worry too much about it Kuroo-san, at least he isn’t growling at you anymore. You still have time to gain some trust, his wound still won’t be healed for at least another week.”

A week had passed since the wolf met Misty, and since then he had made some progress. The wolf had started coming out into the living room with the two men but only if Akaashi was there. If Akaashi was out at the clinic or doing grocery shopping, the wolf was laying on Akaashi’s bed. Kuroo was now able to approach the wolf without any growling or shaking; however, there was still the odd time the wolf would walk away from him. Akaashi said the wolf’s wound was nearly healed and he would make a full recovery in no time. The wolf still slept in the corner of Akaashi’s room whenever it was nighttime. Even if Akaashi was at the clinic late, the wolf would leave the bed open for Akaashi when he returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the second chapter:
> 
> \- Kuroo and Akaashi find a barely conscious wolf in the forest on their walk home from work. they decide to take it home with them, and Akaashi treats its wounds.  
> \- The wolf is very untrusting, jumpy, and scared around the two men at first, especially Kuroo. Kuroo further scares the wolf when he thoughtlessly approaches it in an aggressive manner while he is mad.  
> \- The wolf meets Kuroo's Dalmatian puppy and slowly starts to become more comfortable around Kuroo and Akaashi while his wound heals.


	3. Woke Up as a Human

It was a beautiful Monday morning about two weeks after Kuroo and Akaashi had first found the wolf on that rainy evening on their walk home from the clinic. Akaashi woke up around nine since he didn’t have to get up early to be at the clinic for work. Today Kuroo was on shift with another one of their classmates and friend, Konoha. Akaashi slinked out of bed still half asleep and made himself a cup of coffee. After finishing off the contents of his cup he groggily shuffled back to his room to check on the wolf only to find a man sleeping under a blanket in the corner where the wolf should have been. The man had messy white hair with black streaks closer to the roots, it resembled the wolf’s beautiful white coat with black flecks on his underside and chest. Akaashi stared in surprise as the man rolled over, and Akaashi was met with stunning honey golden eyes boring into his own.

“Go-good morning.” Akaashi stuttered over his words.

The man before him was quite handsome, and he couldn’t quite help but stare at his very nicely muscled body. The man looked at him for a second before realizing the situation. The white-haired man blushed furiously and covered himself up with the blanket.

“Good morning.” He said with the biggest smile Akaashi had ever seen plastered across anyone's face.

Akaashi averted his eyes. “Would you like to borrow some clothes perhaps?”

“Hahaha! Yes! That would be great!”

The man’s voice was deep and loud, but oh my god his laugh. His laugh was big and loud and filled the room with such a happy energy. Akaashi went to Kuroo’s room and let out the dog and cat that had been locked up in there and retrieved some of Kuroo’s looser fitting clothes. This man was about the same height as Kuroo, but way more muscular, especially his back, arms, and legs. His shoulders were also substantially broader than Kuroo’s. Akaashi returned to his room and gave the man the shirt and pants he had stolen from Kuroo and rummaged through his own dresser to pull out a pair of new underwear that had never been worn.

“You can also use the shower if you would like.” Akaashi suggested.

“Sure!” The other man replied with big grin spread across his face.

Akaashi showed him to the bathroom; there was only one in the small house and he and Kuroo shared it. It was down the hall on the opposite side of Kuroo’s room. Akaashi waited patiently at the table in the kitchen for the man to finish his shower and change. Akaashi was now on his third cup of coffee that he had unconsciously kept refilling as he waited a little more anxiously now. An hour passed and he finally heard the bathroom door unlock. The man stepped out and walked over to sit across the table from him, in the only other chair at the table. The house was completely silent for a minute while Akaashi admired the man across from him: his hair was still slightly wet and his eyes seemed to shine even brighter after the refreshing shower, or maybe they were glowing? The silence was soon broken by Misty who came barreling toward the man at full speed and jumped into his lap and began enthusiastically licking his face. The man let out a laugh, this time it was much louder than before, and it shook the whole house.

“Sorry about her. She is just a puppy, and although she is very hyper and friendly most of the time, she doesn’t usually act like that.”

“It’s okay, I'm great with animals!” The man exclaimed proudly.

The man in front of him hardly acted like the same terrified wolf that had been hiding and avoiding everyone in Akaashi’s room. The man stroked the dog's head as she sat in his lap before leaping down to go find a toy to play with. Then another smaller animal jumped up into his lap. It was a small fluffy black cat with icy blue eyes. He walked a couple circles before settling on a spot in the man’s lap. Akaashi’s mouth hung open in surprise.

“You must be because Apple Pie is not very social. He usually hates new people, and even with Kuroo-san and I who he has known all his life he is distant. He only sleeps in Kuroo-san’s bed and that is about the extent of his socializing.”

The man looked down at the cat in his lap, he took a finger and brushed it gently along the side of the cat’s face. Apple Pie started purring and rubbed his head under the man’s strong hands asking for more attention. The man took that as an invitation to stroke the length of his body from head to tail tip. He occasionally kept his hand on the cat’s head as he used a finger to stroke gently between the cat’s ears. After a long silence while the man pet Apple Pie, he finally replied after the cat had fallen asleep in his lap.

“I love animals. They are so free from human judgement.”

Akaashi noticed that the man had said this with a little more seriousness in his tone than he had previously been speaking with. Probably a touchy subject for him. This brought up all of Akaashi’s previous questions. Why had the man been so frightened? Why he had been near the brink of death when they found him? Why he had a huge gash down his left front leg? Why he had stayed in his wolf form for so long?... Akaashi was snapped out of his thoughts when two golden eyes looked up at him from the cat that had previously held their attention. Akaashi got up from the table with his mug in hand. He had been so rude he hadn’t even offered their guest anything to drink or eat since they got up. He went into the kitchen and placed his mug in the sink and looked over at the time. It was currently eleven o’clock, an hour had passed since the man came out of the shower. Akaashi then began to wonder how long he had stared at the man while he petted the cat. Akaashi appeared back around the corner after he realized he hadn’t asked the man if he wanted anything, only thought it in his mind. How stupid he thought to himself.

“Can I get you anything to eat? Or maybe a drink?” Akaashi asked.

“Would you happen to have any cereal? I'm starving.”

Akaashi nodded. Of course, he was hungry! The man hadn’t been in his wolf form this morning so Akaashi didn’t feed him. Like the horrible host he was turning out to be, Akaashi didn’t even offer the man anything to eat for two hours after waking up. The man’s eager response to food made Akaashi feel even worse. He normally wasn’t such a scatter brain. What was going on with him? Akaashi returned a few minutes later with a bowl of cereal and a glass of water that he placed down in front of the man before taking his seat at the table. The man looked at the bowl of cereal then back up to Akaashi.

“Aren’t you going to eat anything?”

“Ah! No. I don’t usually eat anything when I wake up.”

“It’s been awhile since we’ve been awake now.” The man pointed out.

“You’re right. Maybe I will get myself something after all.”

Akaashi went to the kitchen and returned with a granola bar and two large rice balls. He sat down at the table, and the stranger began eating. He ate the bowl of cereal in under five minutes flat. Akaashi finished his granola bar. Wait a minute! Stranger! Akaashi thought to himself: I haven’t asked this man for his name yet. Akaashi couldn't have stooped lower at this point, he was officially the worst host ever. If Only Kuroo-san were home. Oh, right! Kuroo-san needed to know about this new developement. Akaashi picked up the man’s bowl and spoon and took it to the kitchen, excusing himself from the table. And once again completely forgetting all about the question he still hadn’t asked the man. He placed the dishes in the sink and grabbed his phone to text Kuroo.

**To Kuroo-san:** The wolf transformed into a human overnight. I will wait for you to get home so we can talk to him.

Kuroo replied almost immediately, which was strange since he was supposed to be working at the clinic with Konoha, and he shouldn't have had his phone on him.

**From Kuroo-san:** I will be home in ten minutes. It was a slow day and your parents figured they only needed one of us. Konoha lost at rock paper scissors!

Akaashi turned off his phone and placed it back on the counter so he could start the dishes when he caught sight of a tall white-haired man standing behind him. Surprised by the other man's sudden presence, Akaashi turned around swiftly.

“Yes? Can I help you?” Akaashi asked.

“Actually, I was hoping I could help you!” The man said rubbing the back of his neck. “I can do the dishes if you want to go finish eating your rice balls that are still sitting on the table.”

“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that! You are our guest.”

“No! Really, it’s no problem!”

The man walked over to the sink and grabbed the mug and started cleaning it. Akaashi wasn’t about to shove him away, and it was a very sweet gesture, so instead he returned to the table and finished eating his rice balls. Kuroo bursted through the door earning himself loud excited barking from Misty who was playing with a toy by herself. Kuroo gave Misty a pat on the head before heading over to Akaashi who had shoved the last of his rice ball into his mouth. Kuroo gave him a quizzical look.

“Where is he?”

Akaashi pointed to the kitchen, and Kuroo stuck his head around the corner.

“You made the guest clean dishes while you sit here and shovel rice balls into your mouth!” Kuroo teased.

Akaashi shot him a glare. “He offered to do them, and I refused, but he insisted.”

Kuroo gave Akaashi a small nudge. “He’s quite handsome isn’t he.” Kuroo said with a wink.

“Well what about you!? I am not the only one that’s gay in this house.” Akaashi shot back.

His fierce glare soon turned to embarrassment as he noticed the man had finished with the dishes and was standing behind Kuroo. Kuroo noticed the change in Akaashi’s face and turned to see the man standing behind him and a sly smirk made its way to his lips. Akaashi just prayed that the other man hadn’t heard that, although he was pretty sure he did.

“So, what’s your name handsome?” Kuroo asked the stranger standing before him.

“Bokuto Koutarou!” The man exclaimed.

Kuroo was as shocked as Akaashi had been to see the man’s personality. It was so different than the terrified trembling wolf, and Kuroo wondered if this was even the same person. Akaashi covered his face with his hands so the other two couldn’t see the blush that was creeping onto his face at the reminder that Akaashi had once again failed to ask the man’s name.

“I am Kuroo Tetusurou and this is Akaashi Keiji. So Bokuto…” Kuroo started. “Do you think maybe we could talk? I kind of have some questions to ask, and I would like some answers.”

Bokuto’s smile noticeably dropped from his face. “I suppose I do owe you two an explanation since you saved my life and took care of me while I was hurt.”

Kuroo led Bokuto over to the living room and Akaashi followed behind them. Kuroo pulled up a chair for Bokuto to sit in, on the opposite side of the coffee table, while he and Akaashi sat on the couch. Bokuto twitched nervously in his chair not meeting either one of their gazes. Kuroo was the first to speak up, and Akaashi was grateful for his friend. He was never really one for talking and wasn’t very good at getting a conversation started, but Kuroo on the other hand had no problems speaking to strangers.

“Let's start with a simple question. Why did you wait until now to turn into a human? If you had done it sooner, we could have probably avoided a lot of unnecessary tension.”

Bokuto’s eyes shot up to Kuroo. “I am so sorry about that!” He exclaimed his expressive eyes glazed as if he would cry at any moment and his bottom lip jutted out into a pout.

“I-I its fine! I was just curious.” Kuroo assured him quickly a little surprised by the other's response.

“Anyways…” Bokuto continued “I couldn’t have used my human form even if I wanted to. When a werewolf is hurt bad enough, they revert to their wolf form and are unable to change back until they are mostly healed. Our bodies do this because our wolf form’s usually have a faster healing time.”

Akaashi looked over to Kuroo who seemed satisfied with that answer, and before he could even stop himself his mouth opened, and he was asking the next question.

“So how come you’re so hostile and jumpy? And how did you end up half dead under a tree in the pouring rain where we found you?” Akaashi asked bluntly.

Bokuto’s eyes widened at the questions and he made a small gasping noise. Kuroo looked over at Akaashi with an astonished expression. Akaashi could hardly blame him though, he was just as surprised at himself as Kuroo was. Although his words were usually blunt and to the point, it was rare for Akaashi to even speak to a stranger in the first place, especially when Kuroo was there and could do it for him.

“Wow. Blunt and right to the point.” Bokuto said.

Akaashi looked away from him. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, I guess I have just been curious for awhile now. Especially after seeing your personality in your human form.”

“No, don’t take it back now that you've already said it! I mean I was planning on leading up to that slowly, but that is the main reason for this talk.” Kuroo chimed in.

Bokuto chuckled nervously before he responded. “No, it’s fine. I really don’t mind. I was just surprised! Plus, I do owe you guys this at the very least, but it's kinda a long story so get comfortable.”

Akaashi and Kuroo wiggled around on the couch to get more comfortable. Even though they had expected it nothing would have prepared them for the story they were about to hear. Bokuto was good at covering up his pain with his deep belly laugh, lighthearted personality, and overall shining attitude and confidence. It was, however, much harder to hide it in wolf form, and Akaashi and Kuroo were about to find out why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the third chapter:
> 
> \- Akaashi woke up to find the wolf as a human, and awkwardly stumbles around getting lost in thought as well as distracted by the handsome stranger in his house.  
> \- Kuroo gets let off work early and comes home so that he and Akaashi can talk with the man and get some answers to questions they have been wondering for awhile now.


	4. The White Wolf's Tale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Violence, Blood, Cruelty, Mild Torture, and Death.  
> This chapter contains gun and knife violence, blood, scenes of cruelty, mild descriptions of torture, and mentions of death or dead bodies. If you wish to skip this part of the story stop reading after the first line, on the paragraph that starts out like 'Bokuto returned from his hunting trip...' and pick it up after the next line, when Bokuto says 'the next thing I knew...'
> 
> If you do skip this part of the story you can read the notes at the end of this chapter. they will highlight all of the important points covered in this chapter, so you still get all the important information needed to understand what is going on.

Bokuto kept his eyes trained on his hands that were rested in his lap for a minute before looking up to meet the curious stares of the two men who sat across from him. He was nervous and scared that the other two wouldn’t understand his story, or they would disapprove in some way; therefore, he was reluctant to begin. Bokuto took a deep breath remembering that he owed them an explanation whatever their reactions may be.

“Well… I am not from around here. I lived in a small village just north of Sendai with my family.” Bokuto paused a moment.

He had used the word family to describe his village because that is what they were to him. His irreplaceable family members, but his brain kept reminding him of the word humans used to describe a bunch of wolves. A pack, if he could have the choice, he would call them family because there was a difference but to make it easier for the humans to understand he decided to correct himself. Akaashi and Kuroo were nodding encouraging Bokuto to continue. He took one last deep breath before placing a giant fake smile on his face, trying to hide the pain he felt at remembering his family in such a state.

“I mean my pack.” Bokuto corrected himself.

Akaashi frowned at Bokuto’s correction, he could tell that wasn’t really how he felt. Then there was that bright smile of his that could light up a room, but now it almost seemed forced to Akaashi. He glanced over at Kuroo who obviously hadn’t noticed. Akaashi felt a tinge of guilt tingle up his spine, but he opted to remain quiet and continue listening.

“This all started one day, about a month ago. Actually, it was my Birthday!” Bokuto seemed to brighten up at that last statement but it didn’t last long. “My 21st Birthday. In a werewolf pack, on a kid’s 21st birthday they do a special kind of test to pass and become considered an adult among the other members. These tests are especially important for those who are to become the future alpha of the pack. My mom was our pack’s alpha and being the first born naturally I was next in line to become alpha. That day I was out of the village for the majority of the day doing little assignments here and there. My final test was going to be a nighttime hunting test… I wish it hadn’t been.” Bokuto could no longer maintain his smile and his body drooped visibly. “That night I left to complete my test and become the alpha of my pack, but I wasn’t there for them when they needed me. I was away from the village and they needed me! When I got back it was too late. I was too late when it really mattered! Everything was all my fault!”

* * *

Bokuto returned from his hunting trip proudly carrying three squirrels clutched between his teeth. He had his chest puffed out and pranced up to the back entrance of the village. The white wolf’s mouth dropped wide open in horror and squirrels tumbled to the ground, and he sprinted as fast as he could the remaining meters before he was in the middle of the village. There was complete chaos all around him! His family members were frantically running in all directions, a strong scent of anger with a hint of fear fell heavy in the air, there were strange men heavily dressed carrying guns and knives barging in through the front entrance. More than half his family laid dead on the ground covered in their own blood. Everything was such a mess. Bokuto couldn’t concentrate on anything, he found himself spinning in circles trying to focus his senses and locate his mother. His family members were dropping dead like flies all around him, turning into their wolf forms as blood leaked from knife and bullet wounds on their bodies. They laid still and unmoving on the ground.

Bokuto was finally able to locate his father who gave him orders to get the kids out safe and protect them. If anything should happen to his mother, he was already the new alpha and the family would need him. His dad disappeared back into the mess of people fleeing for their lives, and he darted off towards the safety point where all kids were told to go to should there ever be an emergency. Bokuto gathered the kids around him and counted them up, there was one missing. He gestured for the kids to hide in some bushes and wait for him to come back with the missing kid. Bokuto was still in his wolf form and he concentrated his sense of smell to locate the missing child. He found her in wolf form laying in a puddle of her own blood. Her dull eyes were staring straight ahead but the life had faded from them and her body was cold. She was only six years old one of the youngest kids they had in the family. Bokuto reluctantly left her and returned to the others; he had to do what he could to help those that were still alive as the alpha and as a proud member of this family. He found the kids still in the bushes and gestured for them to turn into their wolf forms. 

“Alright everyone follow closely behind me. I'm going to lead you to safety.”

The puppies all nodded their agreement and fell into step behind Bokuto who led them through the back entrance of the village. Bokuto had to take the long route to get to their destination to avoid more hunters that had now slowly started to surround the village. Bokuto looked back at the village over his shoulder, praying for the lives of his family. They were nearly caught multiple times but Bokuto knew the village inside and out and knew every turn to take to avoid trouble, although it took him a lot longer than he wished to reach their destination. There was a small underground cave that he used to play in as a puppy and figured it would be the perfect place to hide the pups until the mess in the village was dealt with. He walked over to the oldest pup of the group who was only twelve years old, his brother.

“Nico, I need you to watch the others. I will be back very soon, just keep them quiet and stay here until I get back.” Bokuto gave his brother a slight nudge in the side with his nose.

“Koutarou! Are mom and dad going to be alright?” His brother asked.

“I am sure they are just fine! But I do need to go help them. Please take care of Sai and Tahli for me.”

Bokuto gave his brother a reassuring smile before taking off back to the village. When he got there a sudden and dark realization hit him like a stone. He was too late! He had taken too long dodging all of the hunters on his way to the cave. As he entered the small clearing where the village had been, he couldn’t contain his rising sadness and panic. He looked around at the dead wolf bodies littering the ground; the grass was stained red with way more blood than Bokuto needed to see. They were all dead. All of them! He couldn’t find a single one that was still breathing, and he tried desperately. If that wasn’t bad enough his heart fell in his chest when he spotted a black wolf laying next to a rather large gray one. He ran to their sides nuzzling them in an attempt to wake them up. His parents laid before him, his mom’s usually gorgeous soft black fur matted with blood, she had gashes and cuts all over her body, and her brilliant golden eyes no longer glowed. They were merely dim and dull yellow orbs that were drained of life. His father wasn’t in any better condition: the blood was clearly visible on his light gray coat and his soothing brown eyes dark black holes.

Bokuto sat down and looked up at the sky. What he did next was a horrible life choice, but it was the only thing he could think to do in the moment. He tilted his head back and a loud sorrowful howl filled the night. The howl intensified as he began to sing the song of mourning for all of his lost family. By the time Bokuto had gotten back to the village the hunters had already left, but he threw caution to the wind by alerting them that there were still survivors. Bokuto heard rustling in the bushes a little way away when he realized his mistake. It was only a matter of time before they came back and this time they would not be careless. They would search every inch of the village and the area around it. The puppies would be found! Bokuto got to his paws and took of at full speed toward the puppies. He had a head start, and the white wolf didn’t want to waste any of that precious time. He gathered the puppies and they followed him closely. All he could think was that they had to get away from here and fast.

A branch snapping close by made him freeze; the hunters were too close. He needed to do something and quick. He hid the puppies in some thick bushes and told them to stay quiet. He would lead the hunters away and lose them before doubling back to retrieve the puppies. He didn’t make it far when his brilliant white coat was spotted by the hunters who gave chase. Everything was going fine until a loud shot rang out through the eerie silence that had fallen on the night. Bokuto stumbled to the ground, he had been shot in the left shoulder. Bokuto was slow to recover; he was about to get up and continue running but was soon weighed down by heavy chains. The chains wrapped around his body making it harder and harder to struggle against the men who were holding him down tightly. After continuously struggling to no avail a small whimper came from the bushes where the puppies were hidden. Bokuto froze. He hoped the men hadn’t heard that, but he needed to distract them nonetheless. Bokuto let out small whimpers trying his best the cover up the multiple whimpers that now came from the bushes.

A tall boy with blonde hair walked over to the bushes where Bokuto had hidden the puppies. The boy picked up the first one he could find. The small puppy whimpered louder this time and Bokuto found himself lunging viciously for the blonde holding the puppy before he even had any time to think. The boy stepped back startled, but Bokuto couldn’t get any closer, the chains had tightened around his neck and paws and restrained his movements. The boy held up the puppy to face Bokuto.

“What you want him back?” The boy asked with an evil grin plastered on his face.

Bokuto tried to reach out for the puppy with his nose to comfort her but was yanked back by the thick chain around his neck. The blonde unclipped a pouch on his waist and brought out a small but sharp knife. He held the knife up to the puppy’s neck who he held by the scruff in his other hand. Bokuto tried to lunge again, but before he could move warm red liquid squirted him in the face. He was blinded for a minute but when he was able to see again, he froze and gazed upon a small puppy lying limp on the ground. Her belly had been sliced open all the way up to her throat. Thick blood welled up from the deep wound and left her body lifeless. Bokuto bared his teeth and growled a threatening warning at the boy who stood above the puppy’s body with a smug expression.

“Tsukishima! That is enough!” a stern voice called from behind them.

Two men appeared from the shadows of the night. The one who had scolded the boy was a shorter man with silver hair and a small defined mole under his left eye. The other man was slightly taller and muscular he had short brown hair and reeked of anger. A couple other men came into view holding the remaining puppies. Another growl escaped Bokuto, this time much louder and more intense than before.

“What would you like us to do with them Sawamura-san?” One of the men asked.

“Shoot them all in the head! One shot each!” The muscular man with short brown hair ordered.

Bokuto felt his heart break for seventh time that night as he watched the remaining puppies (His brothers and sister included) be killed before his eyes. Bokuto’s tired paws finally gave out on him and he collapsed to the ground after struggling fiercely against the chains. Now there was no one left in the world that he cared for. They had all been taken from him in a single night, on his birthday if everything else wasn’t bad enough. Bokuto was about to die and he resigned himself to it, why should he bother living anymore. They were all dead and now he would join them.

“So… what about this one?” A bald man asked.

“Take him with us, **alive**! He will make us some good money with a rare pelt like that.” The brown-haired man said.

The same man that had told his men to keep Bokuto alive approached the white wolf and injected him with a syringe of some sort. The last thing Bokuto saw before his vision started to blur was the gutted puppy still laying helplessly on the ground covered in blood. Bokuto woke with a start to a dull ache in his neck and a hard-throbbing sensation in his left shoulder. Bokuto shook his head to reorient himself while trying to stand up only to be weighed down by heavy chains chaining each paw to a wooden pole in the ground. There was a fifth chain on his neck bound tightly enough that it could choke him at the slightest pull. Oh right, of course! How could he forget? Bokuto was captured by the hunters who had murdered his whole family, and they were probably planning on selling his coat on the black market for profit. He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep for, but it was long enough for the hunters to set up camp far enough away from his home that he could no longer smell the blood. Bokuto guessed maybe one or two days. His memories of that horrific night were fuzzy but only for a few bitter-sweet moments. Bokuto was snapped out of his thought by a harsh yank on the chain around his neck. He looked up to see a black-haired boy with a cruel expression in his eyes. The boy's eyes fixed on the wolf's face intently as an evil grin washed over his face.

“Dad, father! The wolf is awake now!” The black-haired boy yelled across camp.

Two men approached Bokuto, the same two men from the other night. The strong looking man with short brown hair, and the pretty looking one with silver hair.

“Suga, why don’t you take Tobio and go get some firewood.” The brown-haired one said.

“Sure, Daichi.” Suga responded before dragging Tobio off with him.

Daichi approached Bokuto with a knife in his right hand. The white wolf didn’t have the energy to resist or even care when the other man sliced a long gash down his left front leg. Bokuto growled out in pain but made no attempt to resist. He was done! He was done with humans! He was done with pain! He was done with heartache! He was done with life! Daichi leaned forward and whispered into the wolf’s ear.

“This is insurance so you don’t run away, and so you can’t turn back into your human form. I wasn’t sure if a single bullet wound would be enough to keep you in this state, so I thought I better make sure. Oh, and don’t worry too much. In about a week or so we will take you to a man who will do you the favor of putting you out of your misery, but until then please entertain my kid for a little bit would you.”

The next day nothing was better. Bukuto always woke up to a hazy memory and a little bit of hope only to be plummeted back into despair once again as the memories and realizations hit him. Memories and realizations weren’t the only things that liked to hit him. The men around him seemed to enjoy taking out their frustrations on him. Maybe it was because he was tied down and unable to defend himself. Maybe it was because he was different from them, or maybe simply because they hated werewolves. No matter how much he tried Bokuto couldn’t come to hate humans despite everything. Maybe it was due to his lack of allowing himself to feel anything, but deep down he knew that wasn’t it. His mom and dad had always preached peace and how they wished that their kind could be truly accepted some day, and it hurt Bokuto to throw away everything his parents stood for over one incident. Granted it was a traumatizing and horrific incident but still only a single incident in the grand scheme of things. Certainly, not all humans were like this, right? These naïve optimistic thoughts didn’t last long when he caught a whiff of anger and frustration, and to his dismay it was marching towards him.

Tobio was standing in front of the white wolf seething with rage. Whatever had happened had nothing to do with Bokuto whatsoever, but the boy had chosen to direct his feelings at the defenseless wolf laying at his feet. Tobio had a different kind of weapon clutched tightly at his side: a long slim black whip. Bokuto had seen the other hunters with guns and knives, and had heard of some using bows and arrows, but a whip was new to him. Tobio stood above the wolf clenching and unclenching his fist around the handle of the whip a couple times before letting out a yell and striking it across the wolf’s back. Bokuto’s skin stung with every strike. With every strike Tobio put in more force, slicing deeper and deeper each time. The pain inflicted by the whip seemed to stay with Bokuto a lot longer than the pain from a bullet wound or a knife, causing him to lay in uncomfortable pain long after Tobio had finished venting his emotions. Red blood now stained Bokuto’s previously beautiful snowy white coat. His fur looked ragged and matted. Bokuto couldn’t help thinking about how he wished emotions didn’t exist and people just couldn't feel anything at all; then he would remember his feelings of happiness and joy and how his parents and other members of his family helped and comforted him when he was feeling sad, lonely, angry, or frustrated. He came to the conclusion that he wouldn’t trade those feelings for anything. Therefore, a little bit (more like a lot) of pain could be tolerated as long as he was still able to feel those other good things too. Not that he felt any of those good feelings at the moment or probably anytime in the near future; that didn't matter anyways, he would be dead soon.

Later on, that evening once all the hunters were asleep, and Bokuto was about to fall asleep a man approached him. It was the silver-haired man Daichi had referred to as Suga. So far, he hadn’t been one of the ones to approach Bokuto and beat him, but he smelled the same as the others: anger and fear. Bokuto looked up to see the man for a moment before placing his head back over his paws resigning himself to another senseless beating of some sort. When the torture never came Bokuto chanced another glance up at the man who was now sitting in front of him. Bokuto turned his attention towards the man curious of his next move. When Suga’s eyes met Bokuto’s his light brown ones glazed over and spilled silent tears. A new sent washed over Bokuto and it was one of shame and guilt. Suga held his gaze tears still trickling down his cheeks.

“I’m so sorry!” Suga cried “I-I-I don’t even know what else to say because there is nothing I can say that makes what happened okay, nothing that makes what is still happening right now okay!” Suga’s voice was trembling terribly now. “All I can say is that I plan on getting you out of here alive!” His voice took on a new sense of determination. “I know you may not want to right now, but you should live. Do you really think your pack would want you to die a horrible death just because they did? They would probably want you defy the odds, get away, find a better life, and live it to the fullest.”

Bokuto had to admit that Suga had a point, his parents, his siblings, and the rest of his family would kick his ass for moping around so much. He hadn’t forgiven him, but Suga gave him hope and a new fire was lit in his eyes.

A new week had started, and Bokuto was still chained up in the hunter’s camp. Something had happened and the day the hunters were supposed to hand the wolf over to be sold on the black market had been pushed back a couple days. Bokuto hadn’t heard from or seen Suga around camp at all since their conversation last week. At this point any hope that had been restored to him was lost again, and he became more depressed than ever. The torture and beatings had continued, not lessening in the least. If anything, they were increasing and becoming harder to endure. The cruel, tall blonde had also joined in on the torture. Bokuto endured it anyways, not that he really had a choice seeing as how he was chained down barely even able to move. He was exhausted and was only fed and watered enough to sustain his life and nothing more. The chains felt heavier with each day that passed by until they became a dull weight that just felt normal on his body. Bokuto found himself once again in a state of despair wishing for death.

A couple days later Bokuto caught sight of Suga for the first time since the man had come up to talk to him. The silver-haired man paused to look at the wolf, but Bokuto couldn’t meet his eyes and turned his head away. Suga seemed to notice the wolf’s reluctance to make eye contact and strolled over to him. Bokuto continued to ignore the man sitting before him until he heard Suga’s soft voice.

“I know, I know, I gave you hope and couldn’t follow through with my promise. I’m sorry for leaving you to suffer for so long, I know it's no excuse, but I needed to work up my nerve and come up with a decent plan. Tonight, is the last chance we have, to get you out of here, so it is going to happen tonight.”

Suga got up and walked away returning to his duties. Bokuto’s heart starting racing at the thought of getting out of here but he calmed himself quickly not wanting to get his hopes up only for Suga to lose his nerve again. Bokuto spent the rest of the day resting in a half-awake state in case anyone wanted to get in some last-minute torture before they handed him over. Surprisingly, no one came.

All the hunters were preparing to go to sleep now and it was getting darker, not that the dark would be much of an advantage when Bokuto was so badly hurt and his white fur practically shined in the darkness signaling to everyone his location. An hour after everything had settled down and became quiet Suga snuck out of his tent that he shared with Daichi and went to where Bokuto was chained up. Bokuto’s head popped up at the sound of someone approaching, he immediately recognized the scent as Suga’s, and a tiny wave of happiness and relief washed over him. Suga knelt down next to him checking around one last time for anyone who might be getting up to pee. Once Suga was sure no one was coming he began to undo the chains wrapped around the wolf’s paws, fumbling with some difficulty in the dark. Suga had just freed Bokuto’s last paw when there was a rustling sound coming from across the camp; they both froze.

“Stay still and don’t move. If something happens let me handle it.” Suga whispered in the wolf’s ear as he pulled out a damp towel from his belt.

Suga slowly began rubbing the blood off Bokuto’s fur with the damp towel he had pulled out. Bokuto was confused but remained still like Suga had asked him to, he was not about to mess up his chance at escape because he acted rashly without thinking. Footsteps could be heard approaching them and Bokuto stiffened prepared to be caught. Daichi appeared out of the shadows and looked down at both of them with a scowl on his face.

“What are you doing Koushi? I was looking everywhere for you.”

“Oh, sorry Daichi! I just remembered that tomorrow we would be handing the wolf over and thought that maybe I should make him look more presentable. They want him for his lovely pelt after all.”

“I see, should I get you some more water so you can finish?”

“Sure.”

Daichi disappeared returning a few second later with a bowl of water that he placed down beside Suga. Suga gave him a small smile of approval, and Daichi sat down next to them.

“What are you doing?” Suga asked trying his best to remain calm.

“I just thought you could use some company.”

The two men sat in silence after that as Suga continued to wipe off the blood stains on Bokuto’s fur. Fuck! This wasn’t supposed to happen! Suga had to find a way to get rid of Diachi quickly, so he could finish releasing the wolf, and before Daichi noticed the chains on the wolf’s paws were taken off. Fortunately, it was dark so Daichi would really have to look to see the chains were taken off but that didn’t mean that there was no chance of him noticing.

“Daichi aren’t you tired? You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow. Why don’t you go back to our tent and sleep and I will join you shortly, I'm almost done here.”

Daichi nodded sleepily and went back to their tent. Once he was gone Suga let out a loud sigh of relief. That was a close one he thought to himself. He threw the towel to the side and worked on untangling the chain that was tightly bound around the wolf’s neck. Suga had anticipated someone coming out to use the washroom so he had brought the towel and come up with a cover story for such a situation, but he hadn’t expected it to be Daichi, and he certainly wasn’t expecting him to sit with them for awhile. At least the cover story held up and Daichi was too tired to ask too many questions or notice Suga’s nervous behaviour. The man was usually pretty good at noticing when Suga was lying to him. Suga finally got the chain off of the wolf’s neck but it had taken longer than he would have liked, any longer and Daichi might come back out to check on him.

“Okay, you are free now! Get out of here quickly but stay as quiet as possible. Run as fast as you can and don’t look back.”

Bokuto jumped to his paws, his body was sore and aching all over, but he pushed himself forward glancing back over his shoulder at Suga as a gesture of gratitude. Suga nodded in acknowledgment but turned away quickly feeling that he didn’t deserve a shred of gratitude from the sole survivor of the wolf pack he had helped murder. Suga quickly returned to his tent, and once Bokuto saw that the man was safely inside he took off in the opposite direction out of the hunter’s camp. As Bokuto was making his way out of the camp as quickly and quietly as possible, he was unlucky enough to run into a hunter who had gotten up to use the bathroom. The bald hunter noticed him immediately and sounded off an alarm throughout the camp yelling 'the wolf is loose'. In seconds two other men were out of their tent to join him. The three of them quickly grabbed the chains throwing them over the wolf trying to pin him down. Bokuto was not about to be caught a second time, so he fought against the heavy chain with all the strength he could manage. The three of them had managed to pin the wolf on his back but Bokuto continued to struggle and squirm making it rather difficult for the three men to hold him down. In mere minutes they were surrounded by the other hunters who had come out to see what the commotion was about. Then there was Daichi who grabbed another thick chain and marched toward them.

Bokuto looked over and saw Suga with a sad defeated expression. He was hiding behind the scary man approaching him with a chain. Bokuto remembered that Suga had risked being in serious trouble to free him and this made him fight harder to free himself of the chains. While he was struggling and flailing his paws in the air, Daichi had gotten closer to try and slip the chain around his neck. In the blind struggle to free himself one of Bokuto’s back paws came into contact with Daichi’s face. The man howled in pain and jumped backwards, the three other men holding the chains tightened their grip, and Bokuto had stopped squirming. Daichi held a hand over his left eye and blood was running down his face. The other hunters looked at the wolf stunned. Bokuto hadn’t meant to hurt anyone, he was just trying to free himself and had accidently flailed his paw into the man’s face. When Daichi removed his hand from his eye there were two claw marks running down his eye deep enough to leave scars, but Bokuto was pretty sure the eye itself was unharmed. Daichi stormed forward unholstering his handgun and pointing it at the wolf. He aimed and shot it. He had missed the wolf completely: the blood was affecting the vision in his left eye and he was having trouble aiming.

“What are you doing Daichi!?” Suga yelled running forward to grab him, but before he could Daichi shot another bullet this time it hit Bokuto on the lower right side of his stomach since he was pinned to the ground on his back.

“I’m going to kill him!” Daichi shouted in a fit of rage.

The three men holding the chains unintentionally loosened their grips at the sound of their leader's angered voice. Bokuto took this chance to slip through the chains and took off into the forest at full speed, ignoring the searing pain in his abdomen and left leg. A couple more shots were fired after him, but they weren’t aimed properly, clumsy, and easy to dodge. As Bokuto sprinted further and further from the hunters he heard Daichi’s voice in the distance screaming for them to follow him. Bokuto ran as fast as he could for a full two hours without stopping. He was already weakened and exhausted and barely had the energy to move. His body gave out on him shortly after the two-hour mark. Bokuto decided to take shelter for the rest of the night assuming the hunters would do the same.

After a week of outrunning the hunters, who knows how much distance he covered, he couldn’t take it anymore. The past few days he had only stopped briefly to rest for the nights (Not that he got much sleep because he remained on high alert at all times), to find food (He was too injured to hunt properly so he ate whatever edible things he could find), and for water whenever it was available. He had no idea where he was or how far he had gotten from his home, but he didn’t care. His body was at its limit, he was exhausted, hungry, thirsty, badly hurt, and freezing cold because of the rain. He finally collapsed under a large oak tree unable to move. Hours later the hunters had caught up to him, he didn’t know that they were still tracking him, they sure were relentless. It had to have been a little over a week since he last saw them or at least that is what he thought. When Daichi found him on the verge of death he had claimed the wolf wasn’t even worth a bullet and would be dead within the day, so they left him there to suffer, hurt and alone. They didn’t even have the decency to put him out of his misery and shoot him.

Bokuto was disoriented and unsure how many days or maybe only seconds were passing by as he stubbornly clung to consciousness. He was so confused, on one hand he desperately wanted to live and make a better life for himself in honor of his family, and on the other he wanted to die and be put out of his misery. His thoughts slowly faded to nothingness and all he could make sense of was cold wet drops hitting him, soaking his coat. That’s when he was sure that fate had chosen death for him.

* * *

“The next thing I knew, I woke up on your bed.” Bokuto finished.

He took a minute to look up and assess the reactions of the two men sitting on the couch across from him. They had been silent the entire time he was speaking, and some how that made him more nervous. It allowed him to get lost in his thoughts as he told the story, making him feel as though he was reliving the whole experience. When Bokuto looked into the eyes of the two sitting before him all he could see was sadness and pity. This frustrated Bokuto slightly. He didn’t want anyone especially humans feeling pity for him, but he didn’t say anything because he figured it was better than the disgust and hatred, he had become accustom to seeing in the hunters’ eyes. Kuroo and Akaashi remained silent for a moment longer, before Akaashi suddenly jumped to his feet and darted to Bokuto to wrap him in a hug. At Akaashi’s sudden touch Bokuto fell backwards out of his chair and unconsciously changed into his wolf form. he was still on edge from telling his story and being touch triggered him into self defense mode. Kuroo stood from the couch as well and placed a reassuring hand on Akaashi’s back.

“A little too much dude! You scared him into his wolf form.” Kuroo said trying not to laugh.

Akaashi stepped back and intertwined his hands behind his back and fidgeted with them nervously.

“I’m sorry Bokuto-san, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Kuroo picked up the blanket folded over the back of the couch and tossed it to Bokuto, as his silent way of asking Bokuto to turn back. Bokuto returned to human form and wrapped the blanket around his naked body. The long sleeve black turtleneck, and sweatpants he had been wearing tore off when he changed. Bokuto stood up Laughing awkwardly.

“Sorry about that, I kinda changed without thinking.” Bokuto said while rubbing the back of his neck.

Akaashi approached him again, this time much slower so Bokuto had some warning that he was coming. Bokuto turned his back to Akaashi unconsciously trying to protect his front much like a wolf would protect his vulnerable underside in the face of a predator. Akaashi gently placed his hands on Bokuto’s broad muscular upper back, and he flinched slightly. Akaashi leaned into Bokuto and brought his mouth close to the other's ear. He was close enough that Bokuto could feel Akaashi’s breath on his skin.

“Bokuto-san, I’m so sorry for your loss. I know you still don’t trust us completely yet, but I need to see your other wounds.” Akaashi whispered in his ear.

Bokuto’s body trembled, and Akaashi pulled away slowly. Bokuto looked back at Akaashi over his shoulder with a pleading look. Kuroo who had stayed standing in the same place giving the two some space now stepped forward.

“Dude you should probably just do as he asks. He can be pretty stubborn.” Kuroo said with a hint of playfulness trying to lighten the mood without being insensitive.

Bokuto shifted his eyes to Kuroo as he spoke and then back to Akaashi. Akaashi nodded encouraging Bokuto before taking a couple steps back to give him some space. Bokuto didn’t turn around to face the other two but he slowly lowered the blanket until it was on his waist, then very hesitantly he let it fall to the floor. He heard a small gasp from Kuroo who was eyeing him up and down. Akaashi had stepped forward again closing the distance. The first place his eyes darted were to the long prominent scars running down Bokuto’s back. Without thinking Akaashi began running his hands over the scars along the muscled surface, gently tracing over each one. Kuroo had now approached the other two, close enough to touch them. Kuroo reached out his hand to place it on Bokuto’s back but stopped himself when he saw the werewolf’s fists clench and his fingernails begin to dig into his palms. Kuroo took a single step back and Bokuto relaxed, it was too much for him at the moment. Bokuto’s emotions were probably all over the place after having told his story, and he already had Akaashi so close to him touching old wounds, another person added to the mix was too much right now and Kuroo respected that. Akaashi’s hands finally stilled on bokuto’s lower back after having traced every scar. Akaashi lifted his head to speak to Bokuto and that is when it hit him, he still had other wounds. The first thing Akaashi saw were the scars left by the whip, so he had focused his attention there but as he looked up, he saw Bokuto’s neck.

“Bokuto-san your neck… It’s still raw and bruised from the chains. I know you mentioned that it was tight and hurt every time someone yanked on it but based on these wounds that happened a lot more than you told us in that story.”

Bokuto turned his gaze forward and nodded his head slowly. Akaashi reached up to inspect the wounds gently, and Bokuto winced at the softest touch of his hand. Bokuto’s neck was badly bruised, purple, black, and green all the way around. There were raw spots from where the chain had cut into him. Some of the cuts were healed, but others were still raw, and must have still caused a decent amount of pain. Akaashi lowered his hands to the base of Bokuto’s neck and then slid them over to his left shoulder where there was a bullet wound that was mostly done healing. Akaashi moved his hands to Bokuto’s waist and tried to turn the older boy around to face him. When his attempt failed Akaashi took his hands off Bokuto’s body causing him to turn his head back over his shoulder to look at the ebony-haired boy.

“I still need to see the other side of this shoulder and the last wound. It would be very bad if the bullets were still inside your body.”

Bokuto turned and gave Akaashi his left side so he still wasn’t fully facing him head on. Akaashi inspected the bullet wound on his shoulder.

“This one is mostly healed, and it looks like the bullet passed right through you, which is a good thing. Does it still hurt?” Akaashi asked pressing gently around the area that had been injured.

Bokuto shook his head and turned so his back was facing Akaashi once again.

“Bokuto-san if I remember correctly you still have one more bullet wound to show me.”

“Umm… that one is fine! All healed up! Could I maybe borrow another set of clothes please?”

“You’re not very convincing there buddy.” Kuroo spoke up for the first time in awhile.

Bukuto glanced over at him and then back at Akaashi.

“I swear I’m fine. It’s been weeks, and the only thing that still hurts is my neck cause it’s bruised.”

“Kuroo-san, could you help me over here.” Akaashi gestured for Kuroo to come over to them.

Kuroo walked over to stand beside Akaashi and placed his hands on Bokuto’s shoulders firmly holding him in place. Kuroo’s touch felt so different on Bokuto’s skin compared to Akaashi and it kind of made him uncomfortable, especially since it anchored him to the spot. Bokuto still wasn’t at full strength or energy to be able to shake off Kuroo’s grip. The man was about the same height as him, less muscular but still strong, and Bokuto also didn’t want to hurt this man trying to shake him off like he had accidently hurt Daichi. While Kuroo kept him still Akaashi walked around to the from of him, his eyes searching Bokuto’s body for the last wound. They stopped on the right side of Bokuto’s lower abdomen. Akaashi was slightly thankful he hadn’t had to check any lower than that or else he might have been unable to control the blush that he felt starting on his ears. Any thoughts of Bokuto’s beautiful well-maintained physique soon went out the door when he inspected the wound. It was clearly infected and if Akaashi had to wager a guess as to why he would have to say the bullet was probably still lodged inside.

“This is going to have to be cleaned right away, and we will have to perform a small surgery to remove the bullet. I can’t believe I didn’t notice a wound this severe when we first found you. I should have been more thorough with my search. I want to become a vet and I missed something like this, I could have taken care of it while you were passed out if I had only seen it sooner.” Akaashi was rambling now.

“Hey, hey, don’t mind, my coat is incredibly thick and kinda long in wolf form. It isn’t like there was any blood or anything to indicate a wound plus it was on my stomach. Wolves don't usually go around showing off their bellies to strangers. You did nothing wrong; I already owe you my life, I couldn’t possibly ask for anything more.” Bokuto reassured Akaashi.

“Bokuto is right Akaashi, don’t be so hard on yourself. You aren’t a vet yet; you are still in school training. You’re allowed to make mistakes.”

Akaashi sighed recomposing himself. “Alright but we need to take him into the clinic now, that needs to come out as soon as possible. It's past closing time, I can call my parents and have them meet us there, and Bokuto you can turn into your wolf form and we can tell them you are a dog we found on the side of the road.”

“Wait, wait, wait! Hold on a second!” Bokuto cut in. “Your parents? Why do I have to see your parents? Can’t you just do the surgery? You really think they are going to believe I’m a dog.”

“Don’t worry Bokuto! Akaashi’s parents are two of the best vets in Japan! And Akaashi is still a student, it will be a fairly simple procedure, but he could still mess up and make it worse for you.”

“So, you guys expect me to go to a new place that I have never been before and watch as two strangers poke and prod at me trying to pull this bullet out?”

“Well you won’t have to watch; they will most likely put you under for the procedure.” Akaashi states bluntly.

“Oh, even better! Last time I was put under I woke up chained down in a camp full of hunters who tortured me for over a week! There is no way I am going! I will be perfectly fine without the operation!” Bokuto was hysterical now.

“I’m sorry Bokuto-san I hadn’t thought about that. But you really do need this, if the infection spreads it will only become more painful and worsen your condition. If you let it get bad enough you could even die.”

Bokuto froze at the last word Akaashi said. Die! He had managed to live through all that only to die because of an infection. Bokuto slumped over and stared at the floor. Kuroo walked over to him and placed his hand on the slumped man’s shoulder.

“What if Akaashi promises to stay beside you through the whole process?” Kuroo offers.

Bokuto looks up at Kuroo. “Would you stay with me too?”

Kuroo jumped in surprise. He hadn’t thought that Bokuto trusted him. I guess that just goes to show how scared he was. If he wanted Kuroo by his side as well. Kuroo’s surprised expression faded from his face as he replied.

“If that’s what you want. We will both stay by your side the whole time. I promise.”

Bokuto let his weight fall into Kuroo’s hands, and Kuroo practically caught him in his arms. “Thank you.” Bokuto whispered quietly.

“Alright, Kuroo-san you stay with him, I'm going to call my parents.”

* * *

They arrived at the clinic in about five minutes, they had chosen to take the car so that Bokuto wouldn’t have to walk even though he insisted he was fine and could walked there. Akaashi had driven, while Kuroo sat in the back seat with the large white wolf who took up nearly all the space. Kuroo had placed his hand on the wolf and hadn’t moved it since. Bokuto didn’t really mind he actually found it quite comforting now, it wasn’t the same as when Akaashi touched him, but it still felt nice. Kuroo opened the door for the wolf and he jumped out of the car smelling the air to take in his surroundings. There was no trace of anyone else besides the three of them, so Akaaashi’s parents weren’t there yet. Then his ears perked up and his body went rigid as he heard the sound of a car door slam and smelt the scent of two other people. He didn’t pick up the scent of any strong emotions on them so that was a good start at least. Kuroo saw Bokuto’s ears peark and his body tense.

“Are they here?” The messy black-haired man asked.

Bokuto Looked at Kuroo then pointed with his nose towards the direction of the sound. He had forgotten that normal people wouldn’t be able to hear and smell the same types of things as him. A minute later a woman with long curly black hair and the same green eyes as Akaashi, and a tall skinny man with brown hair and brown eyes walked over to meet them.

“That’s Akaashi’s parents.” Kuroo whispered to Bokuto.

“This couldn’t wait until opening hours tomorrow, Keiji?” the woman asked, side eyeing Bokuto.

“Sorry mom, dad, but no. Kuroo and I found this dog on the side of the road a little over a week ago and we have been taking care of him. I noticed a large gash down his left front leg when we found him so I cleaned it and stitched it up, but just today I noticed a far more serious injury. He has a bullet in his stomach on the lower right side, and it's infected. I missed it before because he has such thick fur.”

“A bullet wound. Who could ever do such a thing?” Akaashi's mother asked, her voice laced with concern. “That is a pretty big dog.” She added looking over at the wolf.

“Don’t worry mom, he is very friendly. A little skittish around strangers, but very sweet.”

“Alright well I suppose we should get him into the clinic and take a look at that wound then shall we.” She directed them into the clinic and took them right to a back room.

Akaashi’s parents left the room for a minute and came back all gowned up. Bokuto hadn’t left Kuroo’s side, and when he saw Akaashi’s parents come back, he pressed himself up against the man's legs seeking comfort. Kuroo gave him a smile and gently stroked his head.

“It’s okay, there's no need to worry.” Kuroo assured the wolf.

“Mom… Kuroo-san and I would like to accompany you during the surgery, for learning purposes of course.” Akaashi’s mom quirked and eyebrow at his request. “Well and he is very uncomfortable around strangers and we would like to be there so that nothing happens.”

The woman sighed and motioned for them to go gown up. Kuroo and Akaashi went into the back room to get prepared for the surgery; they hadn’t noticed that Bokuto had been trying to follow them but was closed out by the door. The wolf jumped up on the door and whined loudly. When he got no response, he began scratching frantically at the door. The two adults were standing behind him watching him closely. Akaashi’s father tried to approach him to get him to stop scratching at the door. The minute Bokuto noticed movement he whirled around to face the man and bristled his fur glaring at him with his intense golden gaze. The woman put her arm in front of her husband to stop him from approaching. Bokuto’s gaze softened but his hair remained bristled and he didn’t look away the rest of the time they waited.

Akaashi and Kuroo came back through the doors to observe the secene. Akaashi’s mother had her arm in front of his father stopping him from advancing, and Bokuto stood staring at them with his fur bristled. As soon as Bokuto noticed the others arrival he went to them and placed himself between the two of them. Akaashi’s mom let out a laugh.

“You were right Keiji! He really isn’t so good will strangers, and he didn’t take kindly to the two of you leaving him here. But he sure is attached to the both of you, you might have to think about keeping him when this is all over.”

Akaashi looked over at Kuroo and gave him a glare.

“I didn’t mean to close the door on him!” Kuroo said defensively as he placed his hand back on Bokuto’s head.

The wolf leaned into the touch, and let his fur relax back down. Akaashi’s parents led the way into the operating room, and Kuroo made sure to hold the door open for Bokuto this time, and Bokuto walked extra close beside Kuroo. Kuroo had forgotten that Bokuto wouldn’t be able to open the door in his wolf form; Bokuto was probably going to be mad at him for this later. Once they were in the room Akaashi’s parents began preparing their tools, Akaashi stood back and watched them, and Kuroo patted a metal table fairly high off the ground indicating for Bokuto to jump up there. The wolf leaped onto the table with ease, but it definitely didn’t feel too great on the wound in his stomach and his left leg. Bokuto laid down on the table and Kuroo stayed close stroking his head softly. Akaashi’s mom walked up to them with a long needle attached to a syringe. The image brought back memories of Daichi and panic began to rise within him. He sat up on the table and stared wide eyed at the needle with fear in his eyes. The woman paused and Kuroo stepped in front of Bokuto’s line of sight. He leaned over and whispered into the wolf’s ear.

“It’s okay, this won’t be like last time I promise. Akaashi and I will be here the whole time.”

Bokuto laid back down on the table his eyes never losing the fear that they held. The woman continued her approach and stuck him with the needle. Bokuto jumped at the pinch and his vision became blurry within seconds of the drug being administered. The last thing he saw before his eyes were forcibly closed was Kuroo's face. Bokuto let himself be calm; he was happy it was Kuroo and not the gutted puppy laying on the ground that he saw the last time this happened. 

* * *

The wolf woke with a start causing the man beside him who was petting him, to jump back. Bokuto was about to panic when a familiar smell washed over him, he was with Kuroo. Kuroo stepped forward to look Bokuto in the eyes obviously trying to gauge his stress levels. Bokuto relaxed when he saw Kuroo and Kuroo relaxed when he saw Bokuto calm down. Wait where was Akaashi? Bokuto scanned the room searching for the curly black-haired man, but he was nowhere in sight, he perked his ears to try and pick up a sound and smell the air searching for his scent. He could still strongly smell him, so he wasn’t too far away, and he heard three pairs of footsteps out in the hall. So, he was probably out in the hall with his parents.

“If you’re looking for Akaashi his parents wanted to talk to him out in the hall, but I’m guessing you already picked up on that with your super keen senses. I also recommend you don’t listen in on their conversation, those types of things can be private. And quite frankly it is rude to ease drop.” Kuroo said gaining the wolf's attention

Bokuto focused his attention on the feeling of Kuroo’s hands running through his fur to avoid listening to Akaashi’s conversation. Kuroo’s hands were big and firm, and they were very calming. Bokuto closed his eyes and enjoyed the pets. Akaashi followed his parents down the hall before coming to stop a ways from the room where Bokuto was still passed out.

“So… what did you want to talk about?” Akaashi asked.

“I think you know, Keiji.” His mother started.

“That is definitely not a large dog in there. And I think you and Kuroo-kun know it too.” His dad said.

“So, what if he is a werewolf? What does that change?” Keiji said defensively.

“Nothing sweety!” Akaashi’s mom responded slightly shocked at the tone Akaashi had used. “If he is important to the two of you then, he is important to us. But with all those wounds I am a little concerned about where he came from, and if he might bring bad people or other werewolves with him.”

Akaashi’s dad cut in. “We just don’t want the two of you boys to get caught up in some stranger's mess, we don’t want you to get hurt.”

Akaashi wasn’t really sure why but this infuriated him. “That stranger is a young man the same age as Kuroo-san. He is sweet, kind, cheerful, and he shines so bright it almost hurts to look at. He has been through a great deal in the past month and has lost everything that matters to him. Kuroo-san and I have no intentions of abandoning him. And his name is Bokuto Koutarou by the way, not stranger.”

Akaashi’s parents exchanged a glance and then looked over at their son who was still fuming. Akaashi’s mom gave him a sweet smile, and his dad placed a hand on Akaashi’s shoulder.

“I’m glad you met someone you care for so deeply.” His mother said, and Akaashi’s face lit up like a Christmas tree from embarrassment.

“We are just friends.” Akaashi replied without looking his mother in the eyes.

“I didn't even mention anything about being more than friends” She responded with a small knowing smirk.

“So… can we meet him?” His dad interjected, and Akaashi gave him a grateful look.

His mother knew him too well and could read him like an open book. Even though Akaashi had mostly stayed back and left the comforting and supporting to Kuroo even though he really wanted to be the one there for Bokuto, but had held off, his mother had still seen through him. He had to admit that he had a small crush on Bokuto ever since he saw him, but Bokuto was going through a lot and didn’t need anything else added to his plate. It was just a small simple crush that Akaashi assumed would fade over time. Akaashi led his parents back into the room where Bokuto was still laying on the table while Kuroo stroked his head. Akaashi shot his friend as small glare and Kuroo ceased petting the wolf’s head and a small smirk quirked his lips. At the sudden stop of Kuroo’s touch Bokuto’s eyes shot open, and he looked over and realized that Akaashi was back in the room. He hadn’t heard or smelt him come in because he was focusing his senses on Kuroo’s touch to avoid listening in on Akaashi’s conversation. Bokuto jumped off the table and ran over to Akaashi wagging his tail wildly. Bokuto couldn’t contain his excitement and he jumped up on the ebony-haired man, his front paws reaching up to the man’s shoulders nearly knocking him to the ground.

“I know you can’t feel the pain right now because you are on pain meds, but you really shouldn’t be jumping around like that after a surgery.” A woman’s voice rang out loud and clear.

Bokuto turned his head to see Akaashi’s parents standing by the door. He hadn’t even noticed them with all of his excitement. Bokuto hopped down off Akaashi and went to stand at Akaashi’s side hiding slightly behind him.

“It’s alright Bokuto-san. My parents already figured out you’re a werewolf and would like to meet you. Would that be alright?” Akaashi looked at Bokuto who didn’t move for a minute.

Bokuto stepped forward so he was no longer hiding behind Akaashi, and Akaashi took this as a sign that he was alright with it. Akaashi asked his parents if they had any extra clothes and they gave him a black T-shirt and some black track pants to go with it. Bokuto took the clothes in his mouth and went into another room to change. When he came back his heart was pounding in his chest, he was so nervous. In this T-shirt they would be able to see the bruises and small cuts on his neck, as well as the large scar down his forearm, where the gash had previously been. Bokuto entered the room slowly and walked right over to Akaashi’s parents.

“Hey, hey, hey! I’m Bokuto Koutarou! It’s nice to meet you!” Bokuto held out his hand to Akaashi’s mom first and then to his dad.

“It’s nice to Meet you too. I’m Akaashi Makoto, but you can just call me Makoto.” Akaashi’s mom gave Bokuto a sweet smile.

“I’m Keiji’s father and you can call me Akio.”

“It's so nice to see Keiji making new friends, especially with such handsome guys! He is usually pretty antisocial. You know, Kuroo-kun and Konoha-kun are pretty much Keiji’s only friends.” Makoto said with a grin directed at her son when she mentioned the handsome part.

“Oh, really? Well that’s a shame because Akaashi is the nicest person I've ever met!” Bokuto exclaimed loudly in his usual cheerful voice.

Akaashi’s father let out a small subdued chuckle. “Well we should probably let you boys get home to sleep, I’m sure you’ve had a long day. Once you're fully healed you two should bring Bokuto-kun over for supper.”

Kuroo stepped forward. “Makoto, Akio would it be alright if I take all of next week off so I can stay home and look after Bokuto until he recovers. I will get Konoha and Akaashi to cover my shifts of course.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem at all!” Makoto waved goodbye to the boys as her and her husband returned to their car.

Akaashi looked over at Kuroo questioningly. Kuroo responded by sticking out his tongue and hanging and arm around Bokuto’s neck. Bokuto was in awe, he couldn’t believe how nice Akaashi’s parents were, and he was so excited to see them again. Akaashi may take after his mother in the looks department, but he was certainly more similar to his father personality wise. It made Bokuto excited to learn more about his new friends. After a long emotional rollercoaster of a day the three men headed back to the car and drove home. They went to sleep almost immediately when they got home; Bokuto stayed on the couch that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the fourth chapter:
> 
> \- Bokuto explains to Kuroo and Akaashi about how his family was killed. on his 21st birthday, he was taking his test to become the next leader of his family like his mother was so he was out of the village when the attack started. His father ordered him to take the children to safety, and while he was gone the hunters managed to kill all the other werewolves. Bokuto is captured and the children are found and killed.  
> \- The hunters keep Bokuto so they can sell his rare white pelt for money. While he is staying in the hunters' camp he is chained up and torture by a couple of the hunters venting their anger.  
> \- Suga feels bad for him and set's him free. Bokuto ends up barely escaping with his life and is on the run from the hunters who are tracking him. When the hunters finally catch up to him Daichi deems him as good as dead and leaves him on the brink of death where Kuroo and Akaashi found him.  
> \- Upon learning of the injuries Bokuto sustained Akaashi inspects them and proceeds to take him to his parents clinic for surgery to remove a bullet that still remained inside him and was infected. Bokuto meets Akaashi's parents in the process.


	5. Recovery & Dinner

The Morning after Bokuto’s surgery Akaashi woke up early to get ready for work at the clinic. It would just be him and Konoha all week since Kuroo had the brilliant idea of getting whoever wasn’t already working that day to fill in for him, while he stayed home to keep an eye on Bokuto. Akaashi was slightly irritated at Kuroo, and he was a little frustrated with himself for not thinking of that earlier. Akaashi had really wanted to be the one to stay home and watch over Bokuto. On the other hand this would allow Kuroo and Bokuto some time to become closer, and if Bokuto was going to be living with them for awhile (Which Akaashi secretly hoped he would) then the two of them would need to be able to get along. They had already grown much closer the night before because Akaashi had let Kuroo be the one to comfort Bokuto, in an attempt to better their relationship but also to keep his prying mother from seeing how attached he'd grown to the newcomer.

Akaashi strolled into the kitchen still half asleep; he was not a morning person and was never fully awake until after he had consumed at least two cups of coffee. He brewed his first cup and sat at the kitchen table in silence to drink it as part of his morning routine. Even when Kuroo woke up at the same time as him because they had work together that day, he never bothered or even tried to talk to Akaashi in the mornings; therefore, Akaashi’s routine was the same every morning never interrupted by anyone. Nobody even bothered trying to talk to him in the mornings anymore because they knew he was irritable and would simply ignore them when he was still half asleep. Today was a different story: Bokuto was awake and came to sit at the table across from Akaashi with a big bright smile on his face. the white-haired man still shone this bright first thing in the morning before eating or having any coffee? Akaashi couldn’t even imagine where the man got all his energy.

“Good morning Akaashi!” Bokuto said cheerfully, never losing the big smile on his face.

Bokuto’s voice was far too loud first thing in the morning, and Akaashi was still only on his first cup of coffee. He grunted in response, but Bokuto didn’t seem dissuaded at all, and he continue talking to Akaashi in his loud rumbling tone.

“It’s a beautiful morning! It’s too bad you have to go to work. I would've liked to spend some time with you today! I’m sorry by the way about Kuroo asking for the whole week off, I didn’t know he was going to do that.”

Akaashi looked up from his coffee to tell Bokuto to keep his voice down a little bit, but when his eyes met the shining golden honey colored ones across from him, and a face splitting smile graced the man’s face, Akaashi couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Instead he just said: “It’s alright Bokuto-san, we can spend time together when I get home from work.”

Akaashi returned Bokuto’s smile; although, his was much smaller and softer. The corners of his mouth just barely turning upwards. Bokuto still saw it though because he jumped up from his chair with an arm raised in the air about to shout something, before bending over and clutching at the wound on his lower abdomen. Akaashi leaped forward out of his seat and ran over to Bokuto and helped the taller boy over to the couch to lay down.

“Bokuto-san, you have to be careful, your wound hasn’t fully healed yet and the pain medication has probably worn off by now. Please take it easy.”

“Hahaha! Don’t worry about me Akaashi, this is nothing. I will be healed in no time. Just you watch!”

“I know that you mentioned werewolves heal a lot faster than normal people, but that doesn’t mean you can be reckless and reinjure yourself. You stay there for awhile and rest. I have to finish getting ready for work.”

“Sorry, Akaashi.” Bokuto said in a depressed tone.

Bokuto stayed on the couch like Akaashi had told him to, but Bokuto felt bad about getting in his way while he had been trying to get ready for work. Akaashi walked back into the kitchen to fetch himself a second cup of coffee but found that he really didn’t need it because Bokuto’s little incident had scared him a little causing adrenaline to flow throughout his body enough to wake him up. He was wide awake now, and it was kind of refreshing for once to be awake before getting to work. It usually took him a good hour and lots of coffee before he was awake. This usually meant he was struggling through work for the first hour of the day. Instead of getting himself another cup of coffee, Akaashi made himself a lunch, and returned to his room to get dressed for the day. When Akaashi came out of his room he stopped at the couch where Bokuto was still laying wide awake. He wished the other a good day and reminded him to rest before heading out the door.

“I have to go now Bokuto-san. Kuroo-san probably won’t be awake for another hour or so, maybe you should try and get some more sleep. You need your rest if you're going to heal properly.”

Bokuto told Akaashi to have a nice day and gave him a wave before he headed out the door. As soon as Akaashi was out of sight Bokuto sat up on the couch. He wasn’t tired in fact he was so excited to start the day, but he figured he should let Kuroo sleep or he might be grumpy like Bokuto’s brother used to be when he woke him up early. Bokuto sat on the couch thinking of different ways to entertain himself without causing too much trouble until Kuroo woke up. Then he remembered he hadn’t eaten yet, and Kuroo would probably be hungry when he woke up. That was a great idea! Kuroo and Akaashi had been taking care of him for the past week and a bit, so he could return the favour by making them breakfast, or at least for Kuroo today. Bokuto bounced happily into the kitchen and searched the fridge, they didn’t have much in this house, but Bokuto could work with it. Despite being fairly immature and childish at times, he did know how to take care of himself and he was a surprisingly good cook. It was also nice to have such an updated kitchen; it made everything much easier. Back in his village they had ovens, and stoves in their houses but they were much older, and most were broken, and it took a few tries to get them turned on. Sometimes they even turned off halfway through cooking a meal and you would have to turn a multitude of dials and then give it a good kick before it turned back on. Cooking was a lot harder back then, but he enjoyed it all the same.

Bokuto brought out the eggs and through them in a pot to be hard boiled. While the eggs were boiling, he put some toast in the toaster and cooked up some bacon. Despite not having a lot of these extra appliances at his house he still knew how to use them because his parents had known a couple that lived in Sendai that they would often visit for dinners together. The couple had always wanted kids but were unable to have them, so when Bokuto and his siblings came over they would dote on them like crazy. They were the ones that taught Bokuto everything he knows about cooking; his parents were actually very bad cooks so Bokuto had learned from that couple and was the one to cook all the meals for his parents and siblings. The couple had been some of the first humans Bokuto had ever met; they were very kind and caring despite knowing that he and his family were werewolves. When he was around seventeen years old, they had been in a car crash and died, so he hadn’t seen them in years. Thinking about them made him miss his family, friends, and home desperately. The toast popped up and brought him out of his thoughts. He placed the two pieces on a plate and put two more in the toaster. the bacon had finished cooking and he set the crispy but unburnt strips on a second plate. He turned off the burner and moved the pan on to a different burner that was off to allow the grease to cool down before he disposed of it. Once the eggs were finished boiling, Bokuto poured the pot into a strainer over the sink and turned off the stove. He grabbed a bowl and mashed up some avocadoes and added in some salsa, chopped up peppers, mushrooms, and a couple eggs as well. He spread a thick layer of the mixture over the toast and placed the bacon strips on top. He repeated the same steps with the two other pieces of toast once they were ready. With the four remaining eggs he cut them in half lengthwise and removed the yolks; he combined the yolks with mayonnaise and mustard and returned them into the egg whites and sprinkled paprika over the tops. Voilà deviled eggs. He placed two pieces of toast and two deviled eggs on each plate and then wrapped the plates with saran wrap and put them in the fridge for later. Bokuto cleaned up his dishes and disposed of the grease by pouring it into an empty pop can he had found and throwing it in the freezer. After he finished wiping down the counters, he noticed he was a little tired. He must still not be at full strength, so he went over to the couch got undressed and fell asleep in his wolf form.

* * *

Akaashi was wide awake for once in his life and it was a beautiful day outside, so he decided he would walk the twenty minutes it took to get to work. Because his morning routine had been interrupted by Bokuto and as a result he was awake he had left way earlier than usual and had lots of time to spare. Plus, it would be better to leave the car in case Kuroo and Bokuto wanted to use it to go out somewhere. The walk to work was nice and refreshing: the sun was shinning down on him and there was a cool breeze that prevented him from overheating. There were birds singing in the trees as he passed by the forest that was situated between his house and the clinic. It was peaceful and there weren’t many people around the area. Their house was the only one around for a couple miles, surrounded by nothing but trees. The clinic was the only other building within a reasonable walking distance because they lived just on the outskirts of Tokyo. The road he was walking down had very minimal traffic, maybe one or two cars at most. it was a nice area, and he enjoyed being at a distance from the busy hustle and bustle that living in the inner parts of the city brought with it.

When Akaashi arrived at the clinic all sense of peacefulness went out the door: the parking lot was packed full, and as he entered the waiting room there were all kinds of people sitting there with their animals. Today was going to be a busy day. It was a good thing that the clinic was so popular, with two of the best vets in Tokyo, because it got them lots of customers despite not being in the heart of Tokyo and not super close to many houses. But Akaashi still wasn’t a fan of the really busy days, he wasn’t the most social person in the world, and he preferred to be in his room reading a good book than at a party meeting a bunch of new people. Needless to say, he enjoyed the calm and peaceful days at the clinic. However, the fact that Akaashi was helping animals and doing something he loved made it slightly more bearable. Akaashi walked into one of the back rooms and saw Konoha already hard at work on some paperwork. Konoha looked up surprised to see Akaashi.

“Wasn’t it supposed to be Kuroo’s shift today?” Konoha asked slightly confused.

“It’s just going to be me and you all week, Kuroo-san took the week off to take care of an injured dog we found in the forest the other day.”

“Oh, lucky him.” Konoha said with a smirk. “It looks like it's going to be a busy week.”

Akaashi sighed. “Yes, it does.”

“You certainly seem to be much more awake than usual.” Konoha commented.

“Yes, well dealing with that over excitable rescue of ours really makes you wake up in the morning.”

“Hmm, I think I would like to meet this new pet that can get Akaashi Keiji to be fully awake and alert in the morning. Usually you'd be dragging your ass for an hour before actually waking up fully. By the way, I already started the paperwork because I thought it was going to be Kuroo, so I left the front desk to him. I know that is your least favourite part of the job, especially when it’s so busy. Will you be alright with that?”

Akaashi really wanted to say no, and beg Konoha to trade with him, but he knew that would be unprofessional. Konoha had gotten there first after all, so it was only fair that Akaashi work at the front desk. the ebony-haired male nodded and made his way back out to the waiting room and took his seat at the front desk. The first person in line walked up to him.

“Are you open now?” The stranger asked.

“Yes, we are now open for business. I will call out the names of the people and their pets for their scheduled appointments. If you are here wanting to schedule an appointment please make a line on the left-hand side of the desk and I will help you out, otherwise please remain seated until your name is called.” Akaashi said with a slightly raised voice so that everyone in the waiting room could hear him.

About five out of the twenty people lined up to make appointments, and the rest remained seated. Akaashi called the first two patients and directed them by pointing to the rooms they should enter. With two vets on duty they could schedule two people at the same time, and thus why there were so many people in the waiting room. After he had called the first two patients he began making his way through the line up of people that wanted to make appointments, using the computer to schedule them in wherever was possible, until he had to call the next set of patients.

* * *

Kuroo walked over to the couch and plopped down beside Bokuto and stroked the wolf’s head. Bokuto sleepily blinked his eyes open and realized that Kuroo was awake. Bokuto surged with newfound energy after his little nap and bounded off the couch, with a little more caution than normal remembering what Akaashi told him this morning. The wolf grabbed his clothes between his teeth and rushed into the bathroom, he came back out seconds later fully clothed and big smile plastered on his face. Kuroo chuckled a little.

“Wow, someone sure is excited this the morning. How come you were in your wolf form?”

“Well I woke up really early and saw Akaashi before he left. He told me I should rest for awhile longer before you woke up, but I always wake up early so I thought I would make you breakfast! After I was done cooking, I felt kinda tired, I must not be at my full strength, so I listened to Akaashi and went back to sleep. I recover faster in my wolf form so i slept like that.” Bokuto blurted out almost without taking a single breath between sentences.

Kuroo took a moment to absorb all the information that had just been thrown at him. “You made me breakfast? Wait, you can cook?!”

Bokuto nodded and bounded over to the fridge and grabbed the two plates and set them down on the kitchen table. Kuroo pulled up his chair, and Bokuto took a seat beside him. Kuroo looked at the food in amazement. Both he and Akaashi sucked at cooking, so breakfast for him was usually just a small snack, and then they would either pack a simple lunch like a sandwich for work or eat out if they didn’t have work, and for supper they usually ordered delivery. The only times they really had a homemade meal was when they visited Akaashi’s parents for suppers, which was usually at least once a week. Although, they hadn't visited them since they found Bokuto.

“Thanks bro!” Kuroo said before digging into his food.

The two men ate in silence; Kuroo was enjoying the food too much to talk, and Bokuto was proud himself as he watched his friend devour the food he made. Bokuto hadn’t thought Kuroo would enjoy it this much, he had only made a very simple breakfast that was fairly mediocre compared to what he used to make for his parents and siblings. By the state of the fridge, and Kuroo’s reaction to the food he guessed neither Kuroo nor Akaashi cooked very often. After they finished eating the two of them sat on the couch and Kuroo showed Bokuto some of his favourite TV shows that he enjoyed watching. Bokuto was thrilled with every one. The two were getting along great, enjoying each others' company, and laughing and teasing each other. It was almost as if they had been friends for years. Bokuto was a really easy person to get along with, and Kuroo enjoyed the loud bright presence he brought into their home. It was something he never had with Akaashi due to his friend’s reserved personality, so he was ecstatic at the fact that Bokuto would laugh at his lame jokes, that they could tease each other mercilessly. Kuroo felt that Bokuto would be someone that he could get into trouble with and this was an exciting thought to the messy black-haired man. As much as he loved his friend Akaashi, Akaashi was very responsible, reserved, didn’t like to go out and be the center of attention, and he didn’t care for Kuroo’s jokes. Bokuto on the other hand was outgoing, bright, loud and rambunctious, loved to be the center of attention, and overall filled with positivity and happiness. He and Kuroo were enough alike to enjoy each others' company to the fullest. 

After watching the first episodes of five different TV series Kuroo suggested they go out and get Bokuto some clothes since he currently only had the T-shirt and track pants Akaashi’s parents had given him. Bokuto shouted his agreement and the two jumped off the couch ready to head out the door, when Kuroo noticed Bokuto paused out of the corner of his eye.

“What’s wrong? Do you not want to go out because we don’t have to, I just thought it might be fun?” Kuroo turned around so he was facing Bokuto.

“No! I want to go! I’m sure it will be fun! It’s just…” Bokuto trailed off and brought his right hand up to cover the front of his neck and hid his left arm behind his back.

Kuroo’s eyes widened in realization. Bokuto was probably nervous about people seeing his scars and injuries and asking questions. Kuroo walked over to his room and opened the door. As he did Misty ran out to greet Bokuto, and Apple Pie scampered out behind her and went over to lay in his cat tree next to the TV. Kuroo had forgotten that he didn’t have to keep Misty and Apple Pie locked up anymore. Bokuto bent over to pet Misty who was excitedly wagging her tail, and Kuroo went into his room and came back out with a long-sleeved button up collared shirt. Bokuto looked at him gratefully and took off his T-shirt before grabbing the white shirt Kuroo offered him. Kuroo made a whistling noise, and Bokuto paused before putting on the button up.

“That is one smoking hot body you got there.” Kuroo said in a teasing tone, even though he was telling the truth.

“I know right!” Bokuto exclaimed proudly and flexed his biceps to show off.

“Someone sure is confident.” Kuroo said with a sly grin. “I like to think I am not so bad myself.” He said while pulling up the bottom of his shirt just enough to reveal his abs.

“Nice! Do you work out?” Bokuto asked excitedly.

“Yes, I do. I used to play Volleyball in high school, and I started working out after I quit to stay in good shape. You should join me when you’re fully healed.”

“I’d love that! It would be so much fun!”

“Alright now, stop showing off and put on your shirt so we can go shopping.” Kuroo said playfully.

“What you jealous?” Bokuto teased but put on the shirt and buttoned it up.

The two men spent the rest of the day going in and out of different clothing stores and causing trouble at each and every one of them. They shared lots of laughs and had so much fun. Bokuto burst through the door with loud laughter carrying multiple bags, Kuroo trailed in after him snickering like a hyena. Akaashi looked over at them from the couch where he was sitting. He looked at the two with a fond smile, they must have had lots of fun he thought to himself. Akaashi’s smile faded back to his deadpan neutral expression as soon has he noticed Kuroo looking over at him. Kuroo quirked his lips into a small smirk, and Akaashi turned away. He was pretty sure Kuroo had noticed the way Akaashi had been acting slightly more friendly towards Bokuto, and the glances he kept sending the white-haired man. The two walked further into the house, and Bokuto placed the bags down next to the couch.

“Agaaaashi!” Bokuto screeched.

“Bokuto-san that's not how you pronounce my name." Akaashi stated.

Bokuto deflated, and his usually spiked hair seemed to droop with him. Kuroo walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Bo, don’t mind Mr. sourpuss over there, he probably just had a long day at work.” Kuroo stuck his tongue out at Akaashi.

Bokuto perked back up. “How was your day Kashi? You must be tired; do you want me to make supper?”

“Bokuto’s cooking is very good!” Kuroo insisted with a small smirk.

“Thanks, Tetsu.” Bokuto smiled happily.

“No thanks. Let's just order delivery.” Akaashi said flatly.

Kuroo’s smirk faded, and he cast an examining stare over his friend. Akaashi was quite irritated today and Kuroo wasn’t really sure why. Kuroo had chalked it up to a busy day at work, but Akaashi seemed a lot more on edge than usual. Bokuto nodded at Akaashi’s proposal slightly sad at the rejection. Then he and Kuroo made their way over to sit on the couch beside the other man already seated there. Kuroo sat in the middle and pulled out his phone to order the food. Bokuto turned his attention to the TV only looking away when Kuroo asked what he wanted to eat. Akaashi was staring intently at the TV, but he wasn’t paying it any attention; instead, he was replaying his behaviour in his head. He felt unusually irritated; he had a hard and long day at work, but he could usually mask his irritation easily, so what had bothered him enough to let it show? Then he realised it was Bokuto, no matter how much he tried he couldn’t mask his feelings when it came to the werewolf.

Akaashi was already slightly irritated from work, but he had been looking forward to going home and seeing Bokuto. When he had gotten home and Kuroo and Bokuto weren’t there his disappointment at not being able to see the one he was looking forward to seeing all day made him a little more irritated. Then when Bokuto had returned home laughing and looking like he had a good time with Kuroo, it increased his irritation again. Not to mention since when had the two of them become so close, and why had Bokuto cooked food for Kuroo? But the thing that really sent his irritation over the edge was the fact that Kuroo had called him Bo, and Bokuto had referred to Kuroo by his first name. Akaashi sighed barely audible over the sound of the television; he was jealous of Kuroo because it appeared as though Bokuto was now closer to him than Akaashi. Akaashi hadn’t noticed it before but he felt special when Bokuto was scared and he was the only one the wolf let near him: it filled him with a strange sense of satisfaction that Bokuto needed him.

“Kuroo-san, Bokuto-san, I-I’m sorry.” Akaashi looked away so that the two men sitting on the couch next to him wouldn’t be able to see his face.

Kuroo smiled gently at Akaashi, and Bokuto looked over towards Akaashi and gave him one of his biggest brightest smiles. Akaashi glanced over at Bokuto and smiled back at the two of them.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take it out on the both of you, I just had a hard day at work. Bokuto-san if you want, I would love to try your cooking tomorrow.”

Akaashi couldn’t tell his two friends about the fact that he was jealous because that would be selfish. The two of them were finally able to have some fun, and he should be happy for his friends. The other reason he couldn't tell them was because it would require that Akaashi admit he had some feelings for Bokuto. Akaashi wasn’t really even able to admit that to himself so there was no way he could admit it to his friends. Bokuto whose smile had brightened after Akaashi had asked him to cook for them leaped across the couch diving toward Akaashi and wrapping him in a big tight hug. Bokuto had landed half in Kuroo’s lap in the process, and Kuroo reflexively slapped Bokuto’s ass in retaliation, which caused the other man to jump back to his spot on the couch and whine his complaints. Akaashi was still slightly uncomfortable seeing their displays of familiarity but hid it well: he really didn’t want to ruin the evening spent with his friends.

The doorbell rang and Kuroo got up to get their food from the delivery man. Once Kuroo left Bokuto scooted over closer to Akaashi and wrapped his arms around him. Normally this gesture would make Akaashi very uncomfortable, but if it was Bokuto he was quite happy. Akaashi let himself sink into Bokuto’s arms and relax. Kuroo returned with their food and Bokuto immediately let go and practically vibrated on the spot as he waited for his food. Kuroo sat on the other side of the couch and the three men talked as they ate supper on the couch that night.

The next few days went by quickly. Akaashi would go to work early and Bokuto would send him off with a homemade lunch, then he would go back to sleep until Kuroo woke up. The two of them spent hours hanging out, some days they stayed at home and relaxed and other days Kuroo showed Bokuto around Tokyo. Once evening hit, they would go grocery shopping for food so Bokuto could make dinner. Then when Akaashi came home from work the three of them would eat their meal together and spend time talking or watching TV.

* * *

The end of the week approached fast and it was now Friday. Akaashi had promised to bring Bokuto to supper tonight at his parents’ house; however, he hadn’t told Bokuto or Kuroo yet. Akaashi had told his roommates not to make supper tonight but hadn’t told them why. When Akaashi got home he was exhausted: it had been a really long week, no thanks to Kuroo making him and Konoha take all his shifts. Akaashi thought about cancelling on his parents, he wasn’t sure if he could handle his mother’s pushy questions and teasing tonight. The ebony-haired man wanted nothing more than a quiet evening with Bokuto and Kuroo as they sat on the couch eating Bokuto’s delicious cooking. Akaashi had already convinced himself to cancel when Bokuto came bounding up to meet him at the front door.

“Agaaaashi! I heard we're going to have supper at your parents’ place tonight! I’m so excited!”

“Where did you hear that Bokuto-san?”

“Kuroo got a text from your mom earlier today, saying she couldn’t wait to see us.”

Shit! Well there went Akaashi’s plan to cancel on his parents. He smiled tiredly at Bokuto, who bounded back over to the kitchen. Bokuto was so excited and Akaashi didn’t want to let him down, so he reluctantly resigned himself to seeing his parents tonight. Bokuto was in the kitchen finishing up a dish he had prepared to take to Akaashi’s parents. Kuroo came out of the kitchen and walked over to greet his roommate returning from work.

“What is Bokuto-san doing?” Akaashi asked curiously. 

“He's preparing some food. He says you can’t go over to someone else’s place empty handed. I told him there was no need, but he insisted... His parents must have been good people, seeing as how he turned out.” Kuroo’s expression darkened and his voice held a hint of sadness as he said that last part.

Akaashi could tell that the Kuroo and Bokuto had become very close over the last week. He couldn’t help feeling a hint of jealousy again, but he pushed it down. Akaashi didn’t reply to Kuroo. He simply turned away headed for the door and called for the other two to join him. Kuroo and Bokuto climbed into the back seat of the car and messed around the whole drive, still careful not to spill the dish Bokuto had prepared. Akaashi didn’t say a word the whole drive there, he really wasn’t looking forward to this dinner with his parents. As much as he loved her his mom, she could be overly pushy making people feel like they were being interogated, and Akaashi didn't want to deal with that tonight.

They arrived at beautiful, large, white house after a twenty-minute drive. Bokuto stared at it in awe. He thought Kuroo and Akaashi’s house was big, but this house was huge. Although, he didn’t really have a lot to compare it to since all the houses in his village were practically little huts, and he had only visited a handful of other houses. The three men walked up to the door and Akaashi knocked. Makoto opened the door with a huge smile on her face and ushered them inside. Bokuto held out his contribution to dinner with a small bow, and Makoto took it with a small smile.

“What's this?” She asked.

“I thought I should make you and Akio something for inviting us all over for dinner!” Bokuto responded.

“Awe, what a sweet boy! Thank you, but you really didn’t have to…. So, you can cook? That's great! These two numbskulls suck at it. I tried teaching Keiji, but he was hopeless. Would you take care of them for me?” She asked with a wink at Bokuto.

“Of course, M’am!”

“Bokuto-kun there is no need for such formalities.” Akio had come to greet them.

Makoto walked over and added Bokuto’s cabbage casseroles to the dinner table, while Akio invited the boys into the living room. The three boys sat on the biggest couch while Akio took his place in a large chair, and Makoto joined them and sat in the loveseat and turned off the TV.

“So how was your week off Kuroo-kun?” Akio asked.

“It was great, Bo and I spent a lot of time hanging out, we went and got him some clothes, I showed him around Tokyo, he showed me how to cook some simple things, we watched Tv!”

“What about you Bokuto-kun? How are your wounds healing?” Akio turned to Bokuto.

“The one you fixed up it completely healed now, and the cuts on my neck are nothing more than faded scars that can hardly be seen, but it is still bruised badly, so I keep it covered up.” Bokuto unconsciously adjusted the collar on the shirt he was wearing to make sure nothing could be seen.

Akio saw the gesture as Bokuto being uncomfortable with that topic, so he moved the conversation along. “How was your week at work Keiji?”

“It was pretty busy as you already know, so I'm a little tired but besides that it was fine.” Akaashi answered his father. 

“So Bokuto, when are you planning on going home or are you planning on staying awhile?” Makoto interjected herself into the conversation.

Kuroo and Bokuto both stiffened in their spots, this wasn’t a topic they had brought up even just between the two of them. Kuroo knew it made Bokuto uncomfortable, so he avoided the subject, and let Bokuto tell him on his own time whenever he wanted. Leave it to Akaashi’s mom to find a sore spot. She was a very nice person, but she had a knack for knowing what bothered someone and kept pushing it to the point that the other person often exploded. Kuroo had experienced this himself the first time he met Akaashi's parents. This dinner could go over very badly if she pushed Bokuto too much because he had a lot of pain he was hiding. Akaashi shot his mother a sharp glare, but she either didn’t see it or ignored him. Akaashi guessed it was the latter.

“I umm… can’t go home.” Bokuto replied barely able to keep his voice steady.

“What kind of parents don’t let their kid come home?” She questioned with concern.

Bokuto looked down at his lap fidgeting furiously with his hands. Panic was beginning to rise, and he couldn’t control it. Just as he was about to break down into sobs, Akaashi stood up abruptly and with a menacing tone that didn’t allow for any argument he said:

“I believe dinner’s ready, is it not?”

“Yes, of course.” Akaashi’s father said, standing to lead them to the table.

Makoto was left sitting in the living room completely speechless. She knew very well it was a touchy subject for Bokuto and she didn’t mean any harm but usually if she pushed just enough, she could get the answers she wanted. I mean how bad could it be? He probably just had a fight and ran away like a rebellious teenager, and then got himself into trouble. She wanted to know the person her son was living with, she felt like she needed to know. But she had never expected her son, who was so soft spoken, hated confrontation, and wasn’t too fond of people in general would defend someone he had met not that long ago with so much vigour. She knew that her son had a small crush on the man, but perhaps she had underestimated his feelings. Kuroo took Bokuto by the wrist and led him out of the living room and to the table. He sat right beside him reluctant to release his grip on his friend’s wrist, but Bokuto gave him a small smile and a nod of thanks. With that Kuroo released his hold on Bokuto. It hadn't slipped Akaashi's notice when Kuroo pulled Bokuto along by the wrist, and it made the anger that his mother had brought up in him smoldered hotter now. He put on his deadpanned expression, but he wasn’t sure if he could take another insensitive question from his mom, or Kuroo being overly friendly with the man Akaashi liked. Makoto finally got up from the love seat and joined the others at the table to eat. The five of them ate in an awkward silence, but Akaashi hoped it stayed that way. At least that would be better than the alternative, and then when they finished eating, they could hightail it out of there. Akaashi’s hope was shattered when his mother spoke up again. She really didn’t know when to quit. Akaashi’s dad looked over at her with a concerned expression but she ignored him and pressed on.

“I’m sorry if my last question offended you in any way Bokuto-kun, that wasn’t my intention.”

“It’s alright Akaashi-san.” Bokuto replied with a small weak smile.

Akaashi sighed, leave it to Bokuto to be too nice and not set any boundaries. Akaashi was about to speak up to tell Bokuto that he could tell his mother when she was out of line, but before he could she spoke again.

“Do you have any siblings, Bokuto-kun?”

“Honey, I think maybe you should….” Akio was about to stop her when Kuroo spoke up.

“Akaashi-san, I mean no disrespect, but I think you should mind your own business. If Bo wanted to talk about his family he would, but clearly he doesn’t so I think you should stop prying.”

"I'm not prying, just trying to learn more about the man who is now living with my precious boys." Makoto responded innocently. 

That was the last straw! Akaashi couldn't take it anymore, his anger had boiled over and he was going to let his mother have it.

“Mother! If you say another word to Bokuto-san, the three of us are going to walk out that door and we aren’t coming back. I can put up with your crap, but my friends shouldn’t have to. Bokuto-san doesn’t owe you any explanation!" Akaashi yelled.

His mother looked at him in surprise and she was about to protest when Bokuto spoke up.

“It’s alright, Akaashi, Tetsu. Thank you, but I don’t want you guys fighting because of me.”

Akaashi’s anger disappeared in an instant at Bokuto’s words. How could he be so kind to someone who was being so rude to him?

“Bokuto-san, you honestly don’t owe her anything. I know it’s hard for you to talk about, you really don’t have to force yourself.”

“Thank you, Kashi. I appreciate you so much, but I couldn’t stand it if I was the reason you and your mom didn’t talk or see each other again.”

That’s when Akaashi realized Bokuto wasn’t doing this for himself he was doing it for Akaashi, so that he wouldn’t have to suffer even the slightest bit in the same way Bokuto has. This broke Akaashi’s heart, but he felt arguing any further would be useless, so he sunk back into his chair and sent an icy harsh glare at his mother, who had forced Bokuto into this. But he also felt guilty at the realization that Bokuto was doing this for him. He didn't want his friend pushing himself too much, especially when it came to the topic of family. 

“Makoto, Kashi is right I don’t owe you an explanation, and normally I wouldn’t give you one. But I care for Akaashi deeply, and I can’t stand to see you both strain your relationship, especially over me. I would hate myself forever if I was the reason Kashi and you weren’t speaking. I don’t want Akaashi to suffer even the slightest pain of not being able to talk to his mom because I know how much that hurts, and I don’t want that for him. Yes, I _HAD_ siblings. Two younger brothers and a sister. Nico was twelve, and the twins Sai and Tahli were seven when they died. Both my parents are dead, and everybody I have ever consider to be family or friend is dead. My home is destroyed, and I can’t go back to it because then I might be killed as well.” Tears streamed down Bokuto’s face as he got up and left the table.

Kuroo followed after him, and Akaashi shot another glare at his mother before catching up to the other two. Akio looked over at his wife with a disappointed look before fetching the boys' jackets so they could leave. As they were about to walk out the door Makoto ran over to them.

“I-I’m so…” Makoto was about to apologise when she was cut off by Bokuto who turned to look at her, tears still streaming from his eyes.

“I told you what you wanted to know. Please, please I’m begging you don’t ask anymore questions, or I think I might actually lose it.” Bokuto’s voice trembled and was uncharacteristically weak sounding.

Akaashi’s heart broke even more at Bokuto’s words, and he couldn’t even look at his mother before leaving. Makoto stopped in her tracks and shut her mouth as she watched them leave. She had made a grave mistake by pushing despite the warnings from everyone, and now her own son wouldn’t even look at her, and her husband didn’t say anything, but she knew he was disappointed. She could never have imagined that the bright smiley boy she met had experienced such heartache, so she had just assumed that the situation wasn't that bad. She assumed that Kuroo and her son were being overprotective of a stupid little secret. Turns out they were being overprotective of their friend’s feelings, and with good reason. She had made too many assumptions based on too little information, and now she was paying the price. 

Akaashi and Kuroo supported Bokuto to the car and got him in the back seat. Akaashi looked at Kuroo pleadingly, and Kuroo knew exactly what Akaashi wanted: he wanted Kuroo to drive the car, so that he could stay with Bokuto and comfort him. After a week of becoming so close with Bokuto, Kuroo had failed to see just how fragile his friend still was. He was reluctant to leave his side, but he took the keys anyways. Kuroo drove them home checking the rear-view mirror every couple seconds. Bokuto was passed out in Akaashi’s arms, and Akaashi had his arms wrapped tightly around Bokuto’s body, and he was gently nuzzling his head into Bokuto’s two-toned hair that he had left down for dinner. Bokuto’s cheeks were stained with tear marks and his eyes were red and puffy from crying. Kuroo found himself wishing he could be back there with Akaashi comforting their friend together. Kuroo never wanted to see his friends like that ever again. Akaashi’s mom could be a pain in the ass and her and Akaashi would fight often but Kuroo had never in the years he’s known him seen Akaashi so mad. Then there was Bokuto, to see such a loud, boisterous, happy, strong man break down into tears and become so weak like that hit different. Kuroo made a silent vow to protect the two of them no matter what. He really wished the best for his friends, and he would see to it that it happened because they both deserved the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the fifth chapter:
> 
> \- Akaashi has work everyday of the week, while Kuroo took the week off to watch over Bokuto who is still recovering from his surgery.  
> \- During this time Akaashi becomes increasingly jealous of Bokuto and Kuroo's growing closeness, and Kuroo realizes that he and Bokuto make a perfect pair and work amazingly well together as friends.  
> \- At the end of the week the three have dinner with Akaashi's parents. Akaashi's mom gets too pushy questioning Bokuto about sensitive topics and ends up ruining dinner for everyone.  
> \- The boys leave, and Akaashi is really mad at his mother. He doesn't even want anything to do with her for the moment. Kuroo discovers just how precious his friends are to him and wants to protect them as best as he can.


	6. What is a Werewolf Exactly?

Bokuto woke up the next morning snuggled up to Akaashi, with his head nuzzled into the smaller male’s chest. Akaashi’s arms were wrapped tightly around Bokuto’s back. Bokuto’s face turned red with embarrassment as he remembered the events of Friday dinner. He tried to roll over to face away from Akaashi but was stopped when Akaashi’s grip tightened and the ebony-haired male moved closer. Bokuto laid there unmoving, watching Akaashi’s peaceful face as he slept. An hour slipped by and Akaashi’s gorgeous dark green eyes flitted open and met Bokuto’s golden ones. Bokuto had to admit that Akaashi was very beautiful, especially when they were this close.

“How long have you been awake Bokuto-san?” Akaashi asked through a yawn.

“About an hour.”

“And you didn’t wake me up?”

“No. You are too pretty when you sleep, almost like an angel. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Akaashi blushed and released his hold on Bokuto. He rolled over to sit on the edge of the bed.

“We should get up now Bokuto-san.”

Akaashi got up and left the room first. Bokuto was a morning person so mornings weren’t usually hard for him but when Akaashi was holding him tightly in his arms he felt as though he never wanted to get up. Kuroo was already up and sitting at the table waiting for them. Akaashi walked past him to get a cup of coffee.

“Finally awake, how did you sleep?” Kuroo asked with a smirk.

“Fine.” Akaashi replied in his usual unenthusiastic tone.

“Just fine?” Kuroo’s smirk grew ten times bigger. “You do realize you are still blushing there sleeping beauty.”

Akaashi twirled around to face Kuroo and his face turned bright red. “I am!?”

Kuroo nodded and chuckled into his hand. Bokuto walked out of Akaashi’s room and observed the scene. Kuroo was chuckling, and Akaashi’s face was bright red. Bokuto's curiosity got the best of him and he just had to ask.

“What you two talking about?”

“Oh, just you.” Kuroo said playfully gaining him a look from Akaashi that said don’t you dare say anything else.

“What about me?” Bokuto asked curiously.

“Just about how great you are.” Kuroo said.

Akaashi’s face went bright red again, and he covered it up by taking a sip of his coffee, but Kuroo had already noticed and was chuckling again.

“I mean I am pretty great!” Bokuto exclaimed.

Kuroo’s chuckle increased until it was a full-blown hyena cackle. Bokuto punched Kuroo’s shoulder playfully as he walked past heading for the kitchen. Bokuto was getting out some pots and pans to start making breakfast for the three of them, when Akaashi walked in.

“Bokuto-san, I was thinking maybe the three of us could go out and eat breakfast at this little café I know.”

“Sure!”

Akaashi gave Bokuto a small smile and returned to his room to get dressed, Kuroo did the same. Bokuto dug through the bags of clothes next to the couch Kuroo had bought him, when he found a decent outfit he changed in the bathroom. There was only one bathroom in the small house, so when Bokuto came out the other two guys were waiting to use it. Bokuto waited on the couch stroking Apple Pie who was in his lap, while Misty laid at his feet. Akaashi came to sit next to Bokuto after he had finished in the bathroom while they waited on Kuroo.

“Bokuto-san… I’m really sorry about my mother. She doesn’t mean any harm, but she tends to push people too much when she becomes curious about them.”

“It’s fine Kashi. She was probably just a little worried about you and Kuroo. I mean she did treat one of my bullet wounds, and I’m assuming she saw my scars. She was probably just trying to figure out who the stranger living with her son and his friend was.”

“Bokuto-san, you are not a stranger, you're our friend.”

“Thanks Kashi, but I still feel like I am burdening you and Tetsu. After today I should probably leave and find myself a place to stay and a job. I mean, I am fully healed now.”

Akaashi’s eyes widened. He hadn’t thought of Bokuto as a burden at all, in fact he loved having him around; he even cooked all their meals for them. Akaashi really didn’t want him to leave, but then again, he was sure Bokuto was probably tired of them and wanted a place of his own, with his own room.

“Bokuto-san you are not a burden! But I can understand if you're getting tired of us and want your own room and space.” Akaashi said sadly.

“No! Akaaaaashi! I could never be tired of you! I just kinda thought you might be the ones getting tired of me… I am pretty loud and obnoxious most of the time, I’m taking up your couch, and I’m staying here but not doing anything to return the favour. I’m not even paying rent.”

“I think I speak for both Kuroo and myself, when I say we love having you here. You can stay as long as you want. As for paying rent… my parents own this house so neither Kuroo nor I pay rent. But if it would make you feel better and you want some money so you can buy things for yourself, or help with grocery costs, we could help you find a job.”

Kuroo had been standing behind the couch listening to last bit of their conversation unnoticed by the other two.

“And as far as taking up our couch, we can fix that. We technically have another room, it just needs to be cleaned up and it isn’t attached on to the house, but if it’s alright with you, you can stay there.” Kuroo added.

Both men turned to look at Kuroo over the back of the couch. Akaashi had completely forgotten about that, it was originally meant to be a garage but when Akaashi and Kuroo moved in there was flooring put down, and the walls were nicely insulated as if the previous owners had been turning it into another room. At the moment he and Kuroo had all sorts of junk stored in there, but it wouldn’t be a problem to clean up. Bokuto’s eyes teared up slightly as he jumped to his feet wrapping both Akaashi and Kuroo in a big hug.

“You guys are the best! I really appreciate it! Also, I think I should get a job, so that I can pay Kuroo back for the clothes, help with grocery expenses, and be able to buy the things I need.”

“Alright then it’s settled! Bo is staying and we are finding him a job!” Kuroo announced.

A loud grumble interrupted the room, Kuroo moved his hands to his stomach with an embarrassed look on his face. First, they should go get something to eat. The other two laughed as the three of them made their way to the car.

* * *

The drive to the small café wasn’t too long, only about fifteen-minutes. When they arrived the three of them strolled into the café and found themselves a table. As soon as Bokuto had entered the café a particular scent had caught his attention, he recognised it as being another werewolf. Bokuto’s eyes searched around for the source of the smell, but the little café was quite busy and there were too many people to pinpoint the source. Akaashi had noticed Bokuto scanning the crowd as if looking for something.

“Is something wrong, Bokuto-san?” He asked.

“I can smell another werewolf here.” Bokuto responded quietly.

Kuroo looked over at Bokuto. “Who?”

“I can’t tell, there are too many people to narrow it down.”

Just as Bokuto finished speaking a short orange-haired kid approached them to take their drink orders. He couldn’t have been older than a high-school kid, and when he approached them the scent got stronger. It was him! This little kid was the source of the smell; he was a werewolf. All of Bokuto’s attention traveled to the boy when he spoke.

“What can I get you to drink?”

“We haven’t really looked at the menu yet, is there anything you recommend?” Kuroo asked.

“Ah, yes! If you like sweet things then we have really good milkshakes, if you prefer something a little less sweet, we have all sorts of teas, and of course coffee.” The orange-haired boy listed off some of their drinks with a happy little smile.

“I’ll have an iced chai tea latte, please.” Kuroo replied and then looked over to Akaashi sitting across from him.

“I’ll have a cup of black coffee please. What about you Bokuto-san?” Akaashi turned to face the man sitting beside him.

Bokuto’s eyes were wide as he stared at the orange-haired boy and his mouth gaped open. A million questions were running through his head, and Bokuto wanted to spout them all out at once, but then he remembered where they were. Bokuto clamped his mouth shut to prevent any words from leaking out. The boy was now giving him a curious stare, almost as if he didn’t know why Bokuto was so surprised. But surely, he could smell Bokuto’s scent and recognize it as another werewolf. Akaashi snapped him out of his thoughts as he placed a hand on Bokuto’s shoulder. Right, Bokuto was supposed to be ordering a drink. What did the kid say again for something sweet?

“Umm… I’ll have a chocolate milkshake please.” Bokuto said after a long pause.

“What was that Bo? You looked like you had seen a ghost or something.” Kuroo asked after the orange-haired boy walked away.

“It’s him Kuroo!” Bokuto exclaimed a little too loudly earning them curious glances from the other customers. Bokuto quieted his voice before continuing. “He is the other werewolf that I smelled, but he didn’t seem to notice me.”

“Can all werewolves smell other werewolves?” Akaashi asked.

“Yes, as long as a werewolf knows how to control their senses it should be really easy to pick up scents like that, almost like it’s second nature.” Bokuto paused and thought about what he said. “I guess it’s possible that he wouldn't be able to smell me if nobody has taught him how to use his senses.”

“What does that mean?” Kuroo piped up.

“Well either he doesn’t have a family like me, or he could be a bitten wolf, and the pack didn’t take him in.” Bokuto said thoughtfully. 

Kuroo and Akaashi both looked at him confused. Bokuto still hadn’t had the chance to speak with them about werewolves, and public knowledge was pretty limited to they existed. When he and Kuroo had the week together they hadn’t discussed it because they decided it would be a good idea for Bokuto to explain it to both him and Akaashi. The orange-haired boy returned with their drinks and asked if they wanted anything to eat. Akaashi insisted he was fine with just his coffee, and Bokuto and Kuroo each got an omelet. After they finished eating the three boys piled back into the car to go home. Bokuto paused before leaving wondering if he should talk to the orange-haired boy, but he decided against it. Bokuto knew where he worked and who he was, so if he ever wanted to talk to him, he just had to return to the café. Plus, Bokuto was itching to get home so he could have a long overdue conversation with both his roommates.

* * *

Once they were home Bokuto sat the two black-haired males down on the couch.

“I think it’s time I explain to you both a little bit about my kind.” Bokuto started and the other two nodded in agreement. “Okay well I will start with some simple things. Werewolves usually live in groups with other werewolves. These groups are called families because everyone is very closely bonded, and they all take care of each other like a family would. Within families everyone has relatives that they are related to by blood, and friends with whom they have no blood relation.”

“So, it is kinda like mini families inside a big family.” Kuroo said earning him an elbow in the side from Akaashi who nodded at Bokuto to continue.

“Pretty much. The family always has one leader known as the alpha. The alpha is the one that ultimately makes the decisions for the family, they are also the ones in charge of keeping things running smoothly and everyone safe. Each member of the family is considered an adult when they turn twenty-one, and then assumes an assigned roll that fits that individual’s skill set. Anyone under the age of twenty-one is still considered a kid, and mostly learns things like how to use their senses, and everyday ordinary life things. The alpha is also in charge of training their successor if ever they should die or become unfit to lead. The successor is always the oldest child of the current alpha unless they are unable or for other reasons don’t have kids, then the alpha is allowed to choose someone to train for the position. My mom was the alpha of our family, so the duty fell to me as the oldest child. So technically I'm an alpha, even though I don’t have a family to lead.”

“Alright so I understand that now, but at the café you mentioned something about a bitten wolf?” Kuroo questioned curiously.

“Yes, what I was explaining to you before is the general lifestyle of a born wolf. This means that your parents were both werewolves and therefore, you were born a werewolf. A bitten wolf is a werewolf that used to be human but was changed after being bitten by a born wolf; therefore, they weren't born as a werewolf. Bitten wolves can not change other humans into werewolves, and their senses aren’t quite as sharp, but essentially, they are slightly less powerful werewolves. Biting a human to change them into a wolf isn’t allowed and usually the only ones who do it are alpha’s that don’t have a family anymore. Alpha’s that have lost their families have a couple options: they can remain a lone wolf, they can find other werewolves and join a new family; if they are accepted by that family’s alpha, they also lose their title as alpha, or the last option is to create what is called a pack. A pack is usually made up of one born wolf being the alpha, and the rest being bitten wolves.”

“Then a pack and a family are actually two very different things.” Akaashi stated.

“Yes, and it is quite rude when humans refer to a family as a pack because they are practically denying the special bond between members of a family that doesn’t exist in a pack.”

“Bo, could you tell us more about hunters? I knew about werewolves, but I have never heard of werewolf hunters.” Kuroo said.

“That really is no surprise. I would be quite concerned if you had heard of hunters. Do you guys know about that incident where a pack of werewolves attacked a village of people leaving no survivors?” Bokuto asked.

Kuroo and Akaashi nodded their heads, they learned about that in high school. At the time of the incident the people were panicked and started treating werewolves differently. The government had said that they had put measures in place for if something were to happen again, and that seemed to appease the humans enough for them to forget about it. But ever since then it was a lot rarer to find a werewolf, and the humans had started to look down upon werewolves. 

“Alright well all of that is partially true but the government didn’t want humans to find out what was really going on in case they opposed what they were doing because it isn’t pretty. So that night years ago, there were survivors of the attack, and the government used those people’s fear of werewolves and turned it into hate. They trained them like they would soldiers in the military and shared all known secrets about werewolves and their weaknesses. Those people that survived the attack became the first werewolf hunters. From their they passed on their training and knowledge to their family members and made sure to pass it along to future generations. The government also specially picked some people they deemed qualified for the job, and anyone who found out their dirty little secrets were given the option of joining the hunters’ ranks or being placed in prison and silenced. That is how hunters came to be and continue to stay out of public knowledge.”

“Why don’t the werewolves come forward with this information?” Kuroo asked.

“Well for one ever since that incident humans have regarded werewolves as lesser beings, more animal than human. They began treating them differently, so a werewolf’s word might not be taken seriously. The other reason is because a werewolf must never reveal themselves to humans because it gets people talking and makes it easier for hunters to track them down. The duty of a hunter is killing every last werewolf no matter if they are friend or foe. They are actually taught, and it is drilled into their minds that _ALL_ werewolves are bad and shouldn’t be trusted. When the reality of it is there are some bad werewolves, just like there are some bad people, but that doesn’t make all werewolves bad, just like it doesn’t make all humans bad. Over the years the hunters have evolved to work in groups called parties which are usually led by some of the best hunters. There are however some really good hunters that still work alone or in pairs but join up with parties when there is a large-scale raid.”

Akaashi spoke up for the first time in awhile. “I can’t believe that people could do that. It’s genocide. No matter how hard the werewolves work to demonstrate they are good people too, they aren’t even given a chance, just like with your family. Why is life so unfair?”

Silent tears were streaming down Akaashi’s face now, and Bokuto pulled him into a tight hug.

“I don’t know Kashi. But hey, I’m still alive! I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” Bokuto whispered into Akaashi’s ear.

“Bokuto-san, how can you be so positive?” Akaashi asked his voice beginning to tremble as the tears flowed faster.

“It’s because of people like you and Tetsu that I can have hope. Before I met you, I honestly wanted to die! I wanted to die so fucking much, but I also felt like it would be a betrayal to my family members who had their lives taken from them. But Akaashi when I met you, I no longer felt that way. I still have days when I’m depressed for no reason, or giant mood swings, but I don’t want to die anymore! That's all thanks to you and Tetsu.”

Bokuto gave Akaashi one of his giant mood brightening smiles before releasing the hug. Akaashi clung to Bokuto tighter and buried his head in the taller man’s chest. Kuroo watched them from a distance and thought to himself how strong Bokuto was. Kuroo couldn’t even imagine going through what he did, and then to come out still able to trust humans, and even more impressive than that to be able to find the good in everything and everyone. As for Akaashi, he had never seen his friend so emotional; he usually wore a deadpan expression, tone of voice unchanging, it was very hard to read him, but Bokuto brought out something in Akaashi. He got sad, he got mad, he felt things for the werewolf, and whether or not he knew it himself, Kuroo was positive Akaashi had fallen in love with Bokuto. Kuroo had never once seen his friend lose his temper or cry, and within the span of two days Bokuto had made him do both with ease. Bokuto had been able to help Akaashi really experience feelings and therefore life in a way that Kuroo was never able to. But if there was one thing Kuroo could do: it was to protect his friends from anymore pain and suffering, especially Bokuto. Kuroo gleamed with a newfound determination to make a happy life for the three of them together.

After Akaashi had calmed down and stopped crying, Kuroo wanted to brighten the mood so he thought of something he had been wanting to ask Bokuto for a long time since he realized werewolves had heightened senses.

“Hey Bo, do werewolves have any other kind of superpowers besides heightened senses?”

Bokuto's eyes lit up at the question and he released Akaashi so he could explain with all the usual overdramatic actions.

“Well I wouldn’t call them superpowers or anything, but all our senses are heightened to the level of an animal's. Which means we can hear better, see in the dark, have a better sense of smell, and more stamina and strength than the average human. We can hear things quite far away as well as pinpoint sounds, our eyes also tend to glow in the dark at least in wolf form. We are even able to pick up strong emotions in a person’s scent, and once we know someone’s scent, we can track them even in a large crowd with many other people. I would have to say that stamina and strength kind of differ for each wolf but strength, stamina, speed, jumping ability, and agility are all better than an average human. Of course, besides that like I have already explained before we can turn humans into werewolves by biting them. Werewolves also have this thing called scenting; it is usually used on another werewolf, but it can be really effective on humans too. Basically, by rubbing the side of my face on another wolf or human I am leaving my scent on them. Depending on my intentions my scent can mean different things, I could use it to calm someone down if there are panicking or upset or I can leave my scent on the other person to indicate for other werewolves to stay away. The last purpose of scenting is more for imprinted pairs, and it's to claim the other as theirs and a warning to anyone who might be looking for a mate.”

“Bokuto-san, what is an imprinted pair?” Akaashi asked.

“Imprinting happens when werewolves find their mate, it is sort of like an invisible unbreakable bond that forms between the two. Sometimes it happens right away and other times it grows with the pair’s relationship. The bond only forms when a wolf is truly in love, and as far as I know the love has to be reciprocated. Once the bond is formed the wolves become know as an imprinted pair because they have imprinted on each other. This bond between the two allows for a silent kind of communication without needing words through emotions. The wolves will be able to sense their partner’s feelings and emotions as well as reach out and affect the other’s feelings and emotions if the two are separated. The last thing that this bond can do is allow the wolves to track each other, even if they are too far to hear or smell, they can be tracked by following the bond. Imprinting is one of the most important things to werewolves and it's really special because it only happens once in their lifetime. If one of the wolves of an imprinted pair dies, the sudden loss of intimacy, connection, and attachment can cause serious depression and even death in extreme cases. Once a werewolf readjusts to the way it feels without that bond, they are usually fine and often times find new partners, but they can never imprint again. Some choose to stay alone for the remainder of their life.”

“Bokuto-san, have you already imprinted on someone?” Akaashi paused before realizing how personal that question was. “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.” He stuttered.

“I don’t mind Kashi, and the answer is no. If there is one thing, I'm thankful for it's that I hadn’t imprinted on anyone before my family was killed. If I had lost not only my whole family but the other half of my imprinted pair, I am positive I would be dead or in much, much worse condition than when I met you guys.”

Listening to this Kuroo couldn’t help but think it was Beautiful. It would be such an amazing thing to be able to have such a deep connection with the person you love. Kuroo then began to think about everything Bokuto had told them about imprinted pairs and certain warning bells started going off in his head and before he could stop himself, he spewed out a sudden question.

“Can wolves and humans fall in love with each other and form imprinted pairs?”

Bokuto’s eyes widened at the question but only for a second. Then he paused to think about it for a minute.

“Well technically if a wolf truly loves a human, and the human reciprocates that love, the wolf could imprint on the human. But I would feel pretty bad for any wolf that imprints on a human because the bond would only go one way. The wolf would be able to feel the human’s emotions and feelings, and they would be able to affect the human’s emotions through the bond, as well as track them, but the human wouldn’t be able to feel the wolf’s emotions or feelings, or any of the other things that the bond provides. Also, since the human wouldn’t be able to use the bond to feel their partners emotions and feelings the wolf would more than likely get the brunt of the emotional burden instead of it being shared between the two.”

Kuroo’s eyes widened at the information, but he calmed himself down immediately so as not to let what he was feeling show on his face. He really hoped his hunch was wrong, but then again even if he was wrong this still might not turn out all that great. After Bokuto finished answering Kuroo’s question he perked back up saying there was one more thing that werewolves could do.

“Only alphas can do this though, it is called using Pheromones. Basically, it is just an alpha using their scent to assert dominance over other werewolves who aren’t alphas. It uses the alpha’s strong emotions and conveys them through their scent to either make other werewolves obey them, or to calm and relax a large group of werewolves. However, if an alpha is using pheromones on werewolves of another pack or family, the effects can be neutralized by that pack’s or family’s own alpha.”

“So, you can make other werewolves obey you as long as they aren’t alphas?” Akaashi asked.

Bokuto stumbled over his words as he replied. “Well technically yes because I am an alpha, but I have never tried it so I would probably have to practice getting it right, it isn’t as easy as you might think. Also, there are limits. I can’t get them do anything I say, but if another family tried to attack mine, I could get them to back off as long as their alpha doesn’t neutralize my pheromones. It is more of an assertion of dominance to get others to back off, or a strong calming peaceful feeling to get panicked or upset wolves to calm down. Pheromones also work on other animals, but it doesn't have an effect on humans.”

“Wow, that's actually really fascinating, Bokuto-san. I had no idea werewolves were capable of all these things.” Akaashi genuinely seemed fascinated as he said this.

* * *

The three men used the last day of their weekend to clean out the old garage so Bokuto could have a place to sleep, and they tried to find him a job so he could buy the necessary things for the room. They were in the garage digging through boxes of old things trying sort everything into piles to keep, give away, and throw out. Bokuto stumbled across a heavy box labeled Akaashi, when he opened it, it was full of paper. Bokuto took out some of the papers to see if they were important. Every paper in the box, was an old test from school. Bokuto looked at the red numbers written at the tops of the pages, most of the numbers read one hundred, some were in the nineties, and very few were high eighties.

“Fuck Kashi, you’re really smart!”

“What makes you say that, Bokuto-san?” Akaashi looked over to see Bokuto staring at a pile of papers that came out of a box labeled Akaashi. Akaashi rushed over to take the papers from Bokuto. “I’m not even sure why I still have those, this box can be put in the garbage.” Akaashi declared setting the papers back into the box and marching it over to join the rest of the trash.

Kuroo giggled over in the corner while looking through one of his boxes. Bokuto went over to see what was so funny, Kuroo was looking through a box full of art projects from when he was a kid.

“I can’t believe my parents kept this all those years and then snuck it into my stuff when I moved out.”

Bokuto helped Kuroo look through his art, there were macaroni necklaces, turkeys drawn by tracing his hand (his hands were so tiny back then), there were old Christmas cards he had made for his parents, there were pipe cleaners bent into the shapes of funny looking animals, and there were lots of family drawings where the people looked like potatoes. Kuroo and Bokuto were having a blast laughing at all of Kuroo’s failed attempts at art when Akaashi came up behind them and warned them this would take forever at the pace they were going. The two guys put Kuroo’s art back in the box and Kuroo placed it in the throw out pile and they got back to work clearing boxes. Bokuto found some cooking utensils, bowls, plates, and cutlery that Akaashi’s parents had gifted him when he moved out, but Akaashi and Kuroo didn’t cook so everything remained in a box to be stored. Everything was in good condition almost as if it was all brand-new. Akaashi told Bokuto he could have it since he was the only one who ever even used the kitchen for anything more than the coffee machine and the fridge. Bokuto was ecstatic, he was so excited to add it all to the kitchen. Akaashi found an old tea set that his grandparents had passed down to his father and his father gave it to him, he put it in the keep pile to be added to the kitchen. Once all the boxes were arranged in piles, the three of them put away all the stuff they were keeping in the house. They hadn’t found too much to keep so it didn’t take them long. Naturally Bokuto put away all the kitchen stuff and while he was at it, he reorganized everything, so it was easier to find. Bokuto and Akaashi piled up the car with everything they were going to throw away and made a trip to the dump and a recycling depot for the things that could be recycled. While they were doing that Kuroo took the stuff they planned to give away and made a couple trips around to different places to drop off things where people could buy used items.

Once the room was cleared of the boxes it looked so much bigger and more spacious. The only thing left to do was clean the room itself. Bokuto vacuumed the whole floor while he insisted Kuroo and Akaashi take a lunch break. Once they finished eating, they rejoined Bokuto and put on some music and turned it up super loud as they cleaned. Kuroo was dancing to the beat of the music as he washed the floors, Akaashi was humming along to the songs while he wiped down the walls, and Bokuto was doing a mixture of crazy random dance moves and singing at the top of his lungs to parts of songs that he knew while he used a broom to get rid of cob webs on the ceiling. When he was done that Bokuto made funny faces at the windows as he wiped them down. Around three hours after lunch the room was spotless, clean and ready to be lived in. while they were cleaning it out, they had found a couple useful things like a chair and a small shelf that they added to the room. It was still missing some furniture and belongings that really made it feel like Bokuto’s room, but the furniture would have to wait until Bokuto got some money, and as for special belongings Bokuto didn’t really have anything. Instead he vowed to make lots of memories with Kuroo and Akaashi and blackout one of his walls with pictures of the memories they made together.

Next on their list of things to do was find Bokuto a job. Kuroo mentioned something about seeing a help wanted poster in the window of the café they went to before, he also mentioned he heard it paid pretty well because the owner was rich. The three men stopped by the café and decided to have an early supper while they were there. The orange-haired boy that Bokuto had previously mentioned was a werewolf was their server again. He welcomed them back with a warm smile and took their orders. The boy was very friendly and had a very bubbly personality, similar to Bokuto although the boy lacked the intense loudness that was Bokuto Koutarou. After they finished eating Bokuto asked the orange-haired boy, who he needed to talk to about possibly getting a job at the café. The boy’s eyes brightened, and he directed them towards the manager who currently had nothing to do, because the three of them were the only customers in the café at the moment.

“Excuse me, I saw the help wanted poster in the window and was wondering if I could apply for a job here?” Bokuto asked in a slightly subdued tone to make an attempt at being professional.

“I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi, I am the manager here. Currently the owner who usually handles interviews is out at the moment so let me just give him a call and I will get back to you.” The tall green-haired man full of freckles disappeared into the back room to make the call to his boss.

When Yamaguchi remerged from the back room, he wore a sweet smile, and invited Bokuto behind the counter and into the back room. Kuroo and Akaashi wished him good luck and returned to their table to order drinks while they waited for their friend.

“The owner said that I'm allowed to do your interview on his behalf, and that I could consider you hired if you meet certain requirements. We don’t get a lot of people wanting to work here because it's on the outskirts of Tokyo and would be a hard commute for most people. Anyways let’s get started! How about you tell me a little bit about yourself.” Yamaguchi said.

“My Name is Bokuto Koutarou, I am 21 years old. I love cooking and people tell me I'm pretty good at it too, so I could help make any of the food you might serve here. I'm very friendly and outgoing and would have no problems interacting with the customers. I'm a quick leaner and pick up on things fast so, whatever you need to teach me I can learn it quickly. I'm also very good at cleaning; I had three younger siblings and did most of the cleaning and household chores in my house.”

“Well that takes care of three of the requirements already! The next one is more about availability and accessibility. When and how often would you be available? And would you be able to get here without a problem?”

“I am available any day of the week, just not weekends. As far as time I will do early mornings, middle of the day, I can do evenings if it necessary, but I would prefer not to because I have to cook dinner for my roommates everyday. Getting here shouldn’t be a problem. I live fairly close only a fifteen-minute drive and about an hour walk. I can’t drive, but the days my roommates don’t work they could bring me. Otherwise I would just use getting to work as my daily morning run. I should be able to get here in half an hour if I run.”

“Well then everything seems to be in order. Could you start on Monday? We are really short-staffed right now so you will probably be working every weekday if that's alright.”

“That sounds great! Thank you for your time!” Bokuto practically yelled.

Yamaguchi escorted him out of the back room to rejoin his friends who were sitting at their table drinking tea and coffee while talking. When they saw Bokuto the conversation stopped, and they looked at him expectantly wanting to know how it went. Bokuto gave them two thumbs up as he yelled about how he got the job. The little orange-haired boy wandered back over to them and introduced himself to his new co-worker.

“Congratulations on getting the job! I guess we are going to be co-workers from now on, I hope we get along. My name is Hinata Shouyou! It is nice to meet you. By the way you’ll like it here, everyone is really nice, and the pay is pretty decent.”

“Nice to meet you as well. I'm Bokuto Koutarou!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the sixth chapter:
> 
> \- Akaashi suggested the three of them go out for breakfast at a café he knew about. At the café Bokuto meets an orange-haired waiter that he suspects to be another werewolf.  
> \- After breakfast the three men return home and Bokuto decides it's time they learned more about werewolves. Bokuto explains werewolf abilities, lifestyles, and how hunters came to be.  
> \- Kuroo and Akaashi convince Bokuto to stay and live with them, so they end up cleaning out the old garage to transform it into Bokuto's new room.  
> \- Bokuto insists on getting a job to help his roommates pay for expenses as well as provide for himself. Kuroo mentions that the same café they went to for breakfast had a help wanted sign out front. After and interview with the cafe's manager Bokuto gets the job.


	7. New Job? New Friends? & Memories to be Made

On Monday morning all three boys had work, and it was Bokuto’s first day. He was excited but also nervous. After he finished making breakfast, Akaashi stopped him before he left the house.

“Bokuto-san, I got you something because with work you are going to be going out more often without Kuroo-san or me and sometimes I worry a little.” Akaashi handed Bokuto a cellphone. “It’s just so the three of us can stay in contact. I already added mine and Kuroo-san’s numbers. If it really bothers you, then you can pay me back once you get paid at your job, but I really wanted you to have it now. Just in case.”

“I will definitely pay you back, but thanks Kashi I will definitely keep in touch with both of you.” Bokuto said brightly.

Bokuto gave Akaashi and Kuroo a large smile as they ate the blueberry buttermilk pancakes, he made for them. He grabbed the lunch he prepared for himself and set off to work. Bokuto was happy he decided to make his commute to work his daily morning run, he had stopped doing that since he started living with Kuroo and Akaashi. At first it was because he was injured and not allowed to move around too much but after he healed, he just hadn’t gotten back in the habit of running in the mornings. As he jogged down the path towards the café, he remembered why he had started running in the first place. He loved it! He loved the feeling of being outside in the fresh air and it was a good outlet for some of his boundless energy, it also helped to calm his nerves. Bokuto arrived at the café slightly early: he ran faster than anticipated. Yamaguchi was already there and let him in.

“You’re a little early Bokuto, but that’s alright it gives me time to familiarise you with the set up of the café. I will be training you today, and Hinata who you’ve already met will be working today as well.” Yamaguchi said as he led Bokuto to the back room to grab him an apron.

Yamaguchi took Bokuto around the café showing him where to find the different tools that he would be using. The green-haired boy showed him how to work the register since it was his first time, and he showed him around the kitchen where they made the food. Each machine behind the counter was used for a different purpose, but they were all used to make drinks. After his little tour around the little building he recognized Hinata’s scent, and the small orange-haired boy entered through the back door mumbling his apologies to Yamaguchi who gave him a stern look.

“I thought I told you to stop showing up late!” Yamaguchi said, but he didn’t sound mad at all, more annoyed like he was used to this.

“Well I’m here before we opened the doors for the customers, and that's what really matters! Right?”

"You’re lucky our boss is so lenient on these types of things.” Yamaguchi said shaking his head.

Hinata gave a small chuckle and turned to greet Bokuto. The short boy went into the back room and grabbed his apron, and the three of them began setting up for the customers. Bokuto took chairs down off the tables and wiped everything down with cleaner and a wet cloth then went back over everything with a dry cloth. Hinata got stuck cleaning the washrooms as a punishment for being late, and Yamaguchi cleaned all of their supplies, tools, and appliances. Once the time reached eight thirty, Hinata ran to unlock the front doors and put up the open sign in the window. For the first hour or so there weren't any customers, so Bokuto used this time to familiarise himself with the placement of everything he might be needing to use soon. When the first customer arrived and took a seat at a table, Bokuto observed as Hinata walked up to her with a menu and a smile. The woman seated at the table decided on a drink right away but needed more time to think about food. Hinata left the woman with the menu and told Yamaguchi which drink she ordered. Yamaguchi nodded and took Bokuto to show him how to make the drink, while Hinata scurried off to take more orders as customers started filling the little café. The first woman had ordered tea. Bokuto knew how to make tea; he just wasn’t sure what to put in this specific kind of tea. Yamaguchi showed him a secret cheat sheet that listed all the different kinds of drinks and the ingredients they used in each. Yamaguchi assured him that as he spent more time working there, he would be able to memorise the majority of the drinks but until then he could just look it up on the sheet. Bokuto found the tea’s name on the sheet and added what it called for into a tea bag and boiled the hot water. He placed the tea bag into the cup and poured in the hot water. Yamaguchi took the tea out to the customer, and Hinata came back with more drink orders. A chai tea latte, black coffee, coffee with cream and sugar, and a london fog with a shot of expresso. Bokuto brewed the coffee, boiled the water, and prepared the tea bag for the chai latte. When the coffee was done, he poured one without anything added in it (the way Akaashi liked it) and then added one cream and sugar to the second one. Yamaguchi took the coffees out to the customers, while Bokuto poured the hot water into a cup with the tea bag he had prepared and added milk to make it a latte. Once Bokuto came around to doing the london fog he was stuck, he wasn’t sure what type of drink it was so he couldn’t find it on the cheat sheet. Yamaguchi returned and gave him a hint by telling him it was a type of latte. Bokuto found it on sheet and prepared the tea bag and used the already boiled water and added milk, Yamaguchi had to show him where to get the expresso shot, but other than that it was going smoothly. After the drinks had been given out Hinata returned to the counter with food orders. Bokuto’s eyes brightened up and Yamaguchi looked at him with a smile.

“I guess I can trust the food orders to you then?” Yamaguchi said moving towards the register for the customers who had only wanted drinks and were ready to pay.

“Yes! No problem, leave it to me!” Bokuto said making his way into the kitchen.

“If you need help finding the ingredients just ask.” Yamaguchi called out to the excited man that had already took off through the kitchen doors.

Bokuto felt right at home the moment he entered the kitchen; most of the orders were simple things that were easy to make and wouldn’t take much effort for a seasoned cook like himself. He prepared each order with ease and scary efficiency. When he retuned through the kitchen doors with all the orders ready, prepared, and presentable, Yamaguchi and Hinata looked at him with shock.

“Well you certainly weren’t lying about being able to cook.” Yamaguchi says.

“If that tastes even half as good as it looks, we are going to be flooded with customers!” Hinata said while a tiny bit of drool leaked from the corner of his mouth.

“It’s better!” Bokuto declared, earning him a confused look from Hinata. “It doesn’t taste half as good as it looks, it tastes better!” Bokuto explained with pride oozing from every word.

“Well someone sure is confident. Guess we will have to let the customers decide.” Hinata said with a playfully mocking tone.

Hinata and Yamaguchi took the plates of food out to the customers who looked at the food in surprise. The three customers were regulars at the café and probably hadn’t seen the food look so good. The first customer took a bite of his food and made a soft humming sound before devouring the rest of it within seconds. The second customer ate his slowly, savouring every bite as he went, and the third took a bite, and was smiling wildly.

“I have never had food this good! Whoever your new chef is, you should keep him!” The third customer yelled at Hinata who had walked away after giving him his food.

Hinata looked over to Yamaguchi who was utterly speechless and then back to Bokuto who was gleaming with satisfaction. He loved the feeling he got when people enjoyed his food, it made him feel warm and fuzzing and happy inside. Shortly after lunch time rush hour the café was empty again, and the three boys took this time to close the café temporarily while they ate their own lunches. Yamaguchi and Bokuto were sitting at the counter eating when they heard a little shriek from the back room where Hinata was. Hinata came out of the room whining and pouting about forgetting to grab his lunch before he left his house. Bokuto offered to make him something quick if he was allowed to borrow the kitchen and some ingredients. Yamaguchi nodded his head and Bokuto prepared some baked bean and cheese quesadillas, with homemade salsa and guacamole. It only took him ten minutes to prepare. Hinata was drooling over the plate Bokuto served him, and Yamaguchi looked over at the food and smell hit him. He reached to steal a small piece of the food when Hinata smacked his hand away.

“I don’t think so! This is my lunch! You have your own. You can try Bokuto-san’s cooking when you forget your lunch at home.” Hinata shrieked.

Yamaguchi returned to his own food and finished eating. When Hinata was done he had to wash the plate, bowls, and utensils he borrowed from the café. They reopened the café for the rest of the day. The remainder of the day went by smoothly, they had lots of customers come in and order food and practically praising the gods when they left. Bokuto stayed in the kitchen for the rest of the day. Yamaguchi told him he would teach Bokuto how to take orders and manage the register tomorrow on a less busy day. After Yamaguchi locked up the café, the three boys exchanged phone numbers and parted ways for the night. Bokuto ran home feeling pretty good about his first day of work. Just like Hinata had said, the work was fun, the people were nice (customers and co-workers), and he was excited for his next day.

Once Bokuto reached the house he put his stuff in his mostly empty room and went straight to the kitchen. The only thing about him living in the old garage was that it was detached every so slightly from the rest of the house; therefore, he had to walk about three steps outside before re-entering the main house through the back door. He was still super close to Kuroo and Akaashi, but he couldn’t help feeling slightly sad that he was staying in a different building than the other two. Although, he wasn’t about to complain. The fact that they even let him stay there was beyond generous. Bokuto made his lunch for tomorrow and placed it in the fridge and worked away on preparing dinner. Kuroo and Akaashi returned home looking more tired than usual: they probably had a busy day at the clinic, plus they hadn’t had the most relaxing weekend because they were busy helping out Bokuto. Bokuto set the table for the two black-haired men, and Bokuto took his food over to sit on the couch.

“We really need to get another chair for the kitchen table.” Kuroo mumbled through his face stuffed with food.

“Don’t worry about it Tetsu. I can get my own chair once I get paid. Until then I'm fine sitting on the couch.” Bokuto replied as he grabbed the remote to turn on the Tv.

When they finished eating Akaashi offered to do the dishes since Bokuto cooked. The white-haired man denied his request telling him it was fine and that he and Kuroo should rest after a long busy day, but Akaashi insisted. Bokuto and Kuroo sat on the couch with the Tv muted as Bokuto dramatically threw his arms about as he explained the fun of his first day at work. Akaashi was content to listen to him from the kitchen where he stood over the sink washing dishes. It was a good thing Bokuto’s voice was so loud: it carried across the whole house no matter where he was in it, this allowed Akaashi to silently listen and enjoy the white-haired man’s soothing voice and calming presence.

* * *

Days passed by and Bokuto began growing accustom to his job. He had picked up on most of the things required of him fairly quickly. He could take orders, manage the register, serve drinks and food, make drinks more efficiently, and of course he could cook and clean. His favourite parts of the job were definitely cooking and being able to interact with the customers when he took their orders. Bokuto was a very social person and enjoyed having little conversations here and there. He got to know some of the regular customers pretty well, they would always greet him by name when they saw him, and he would do the same with a smile that lit up the place. Bokuto had also grown very close to his co-workers, especially Hinata. The young boy seemed to look up to him, and Bokuto felt a strange sense of protectiveness and pride for the young boy. He still hadn’t mentioned anything about being a werewolf because the opportunity had never presented itself, but he was glad that they had become such close friends.

One day when Bokuto was working, Yamaguchi informed him that the owner would be paying a visit to check up on things and meet the new recruit. Bokuto was excited to meet the big boss that Hinata and Yamaguchi talked about so fondly, but it also made him a bit nervous. What if the boss didn't like him? Would he have to quit his job? That day Bokuto worked extra hard so that when the owner arrived, he would be impressed and have a good first impression of Bokuto. The white-haired employee was in the kitchen preparing a few orders when he heard someone come in through the back door of the building. He assumed it was probably the owner if the person had come through the back door. Bokuto kept his attention on cooking, but as the man passed by the doors to the kitchen, Bokuto felt a chill run up his spine as his nose caught a familiar scent in the air. He paused and then proceeded to push the thought out of his mind as he finished up the last order before lunch. Bokuto brought out the plate and handed it to Hinata. Bokuto smelled the air again and scent was unmistakably familiar; he knew exactly who it belonged to. Bokuto stood frozen unable to glance over at Yamaguchi who was talking to the man Bokuto had really wanted to avoid. But he was unable to avert his gaze any longer as the soft voice of the man who had saved his life spoke.

“Sorry I’m a little early, I hope I'm not disrupting your work.”

“Ah! No worries Suga-san, we are just waiting for the last customer to leave before taking our lunch break.” Yamaguchi assured the older man.

“So where is this new recruit of ours?” Suga asked.

Yamaguchi’s eyes met Bokuto’s and Suga turned to face the taller man. Suga’s eyes lit up slightly with surprise. Bokuto thought for sure Suga had recognized him and he was screwed. He couldn’t quite bring himself to meet the silver-haired man’s eyes, but he noticed when Suga’s gaze softened and he reached out a hand.

“Hi, I’m Sugawara Koushi, the owner of this café, but you can just call me Suga. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I have heard a lot about you from Tadashi.”

Bokuto reached out and returned the handshake. “It’s nice to meet you too Suga-san.”

Suga let out a big sigh. “I tell everyone to call me Suga, but they always end up adding a san to it.”

“Well you are kind of our boss.” Hinata chimed in after taking down the open sign after the last customer left.

Suga sighed again, and they all sat down at the counter with their lunches to eat. Suga looked over at Bokuto.

“You know your handsome face and crazy hairstyle really reminds me of someone I once met.” Suga’s voice sounded almost sad and distant when he said those words.

Bokuto looked up at him and the realization dawned on him. Of course, Suga wouldn’t recognize him, despite having the same colored hair as fur in his wolf form and bright yellow eyes he looked completely different. Suga had never seen him in his human form and had probably assumed he was dead because quite honestly Bokuto was practically dead when the hunters left him. If not for Kuroo and Akaashi he most certainly would be dead. Bokuto relaxed a little: Suga didn’t recognize him and he was a nice person. He did save Bokuto’s life after all. He was still slightly uncomfortable at the familiarity of Suga’s scent, soft voice, and shining silver hair: it brought back some feelings and memories that Bokuto wasn’t sure he wanted to deal with at the moment, so he pushed them down. Lunch break seemed to drag out forever as did the rest of the day while Suga sat back and watched them work. Bokuto remained slightly more subdued and quieter the rest of the day, he didn’t feel quite like himself, and he felt like he was being drained of his normally boundless energy. Yamaguchi and Hinata had both noticed his change in behaviour but chalked it up to nerves at the boss watching them, which wasn’t entirely wrong, but for a very different reason than they thought.

After work Bokuto walked home; it took him half and hour longer than his usual run. When he got home Kuroo was waiting for him on the couch, he had been off work all day and looking forward to seeing his friend. Being off work was nice sometimes, but when he had nothing to do and nobody else was home, Kuroo got bored.

“I was expecting you home a little sooner Bo. If you wanted, I could have come and picked you up.”

“Sorry Tets. But it’s fine, I just walked home instead of running. I don’t think I feel great, I’m going to go lie down.”

Bokuto slinked through the house and out the back door to his room. He still hadn’t bought any furniture for his room yet, so he threw his stuff to the floor and changed out of his clothes. He curled up on his large chair that they had found in the garage while they were cleaning. He took a blanket that he was borrowing from Akaashi and pulled it over himself and changed into wolf form. He closed his eyes and let the memories and feelings he had pushed down earlier that day come rushing back to him. The warm heavy blanket that smelled strongly of Akaashi was the only thing comforting him.

Akaashi arrived home and was surprised to find Kuroo sitting alone on the couch, normally Bokuto would be right next to him and the two of them would be laughing loudly at each others stupid jokes, or even just sprawled out in awkward positions on the couch while they watched TV. Kuroo turned his attention to Akaashi as he dropped his things off in his room and made his way over to the couch to sit beside Kuroo and Misty.

“Where’s Bokuto-san?”

“In his room. He was late coming home from work and went straight to his room when he got home. He said that he wasn’t feeling great, but I think he had a bad day at work. I wasn’t sure what to do, I’m not very good at dealing with his depressive episodes like you are, so I gave him his space.”

“Alright, I will go check on him, if you want to order food since he probably won’t want to cook.”

Akaashi walked out the back door and knocked a couple times on Bokuto’s room. When he didn’t get an answer, he announced himself and walked in. Bokuto was in wolf form laying on his huge chair with the blanket Akaashi had lent him draped over himself. He didn’t stir or even open his eyes when Akaashi approached. At first the ebony-haired male thought he was in a deep sleep, but the rhythm of his breathing told Akaashi he was awake.

“Bokuto-san what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

The only response Akaashi got was the opening of Bokuto’s eyes to acknowledge the other’s presence. Bokuto's eyes usually a bright glistening yellow golden color seemed dull and sad. He was definitely in one of his depressive moods, but if he was even unwilling to talk to Akaashi then this one was much worse than the previous ones. Akaashi sat on the floor next to Bokuto and leaned his head against the chair, he brought his hand up and slowly started stroking the wolf's head gently. After awhile Kuroo came in to check on them, neither one had moved from their spots. Akaashi looked over at Kuroo without stopping his strokes.

“The food is here if you guys are hungry.” Kuroo said in a hushed voice.

Akaashi nodded and waved Kuroo over to sit beside him on the ground. Akaashi motioned for Kuroo to place his hand on the wolf. Kuroo hesitantly placed his hand on Bokuto’s back, he kept it in place unmoving until he was elbowed in the side by Akaashi who gave Kuroo a look that said: really, that’s the best you can do. Kuroo started moving his hand back forth in long strokes down Bokuto back. He wasn’t really sure how much it was helping Bokuto but is was really calming and relaxing for him to rub his hands through Bokuto’s thick soft fur. After Bokuto’s breathing slowed and deepened a sign that he was asleep, Akaashi led Kuroo out of the room and back into the house to eat.

* * *

After last night Bokuto was feeling a little bit better. He didn’t want to worry or burden his friends so kept what happened to himself. That morning he was back to his old cheery self. Although, it was mostly an act; he felt better but still very run down, tired, and sad. Bokuto decided that Suga being the owner of the café wasn’t really a problem as long as he didn’t recognize him. He liked his job and his co-workers and didn’t want to start all over at square one and be jobless again. He liked being able to take care of himself and help pay for groceries, he also needed to earn some more money so he could furnish his room. Most of the money from his first paycheck was used to pay back Kuroo and Akaashi for things they did for him. Bokuto kept going to his job everyday acting as if everything was fine. Nobody seemed to notice otherwise except his two roommates, they knew him well enough now, to know when he was faking a smile and acting cheery.

Bokuto wasn’t sure how much longer he could hide his pain, but it turned out he didn’t have to much longer. When he arrived at work, he was greeted with another familiar scent but this time it wasn’t Suga. At least Suga was a decent person, this scent brought back memories of anger, frustration, and torture. Bokuto reluctantly walked into the café and was greeted by the face he was really hoping he wouldn’t see. He was desperately hoping that he had just imagined the scent because he was being overly paranoid, but he had no such luck. It was Suga and Daichi’s son Tobio. The black-haired boy introduced himself, and Bokuto scanned his face for any signs of recognition. This boy obviously didn’t recognize him; he probably didn’t even think about Bokuto at all. Bokuto was on high alert after that and he kept stumbling over things making small mistakes that would otherwise never happen. He wanted out of there and he wanted it now, but so as not to raise suspicion he knew he would have to finish his shift, but after that he was done. Apparently Tobio was a normal employee there but had been on vacation for awhile while Bokuto first started working there and was being trained. The white-haired man tried to stay in the kitchen away from Tobio as much as possible, but he still had other duties to fulfill besides cooking.

Bokuto’s shift crawled by at a snail’s pace, panic and fear rising inside him with every minute that passed until he felt like he was going to burst. The second their shift was done Bokuto dashed for exit and didn’t look back. He didn’t even say goodbye, he just started running. Bokuto was running so frantically and he started to feel tears stream down his face. Finally he stopped running and crouched to the ground and started sobbing, he had only made it half way home, but it was far too hard to run and sob at the same time: it made it hard for him to catch his breath. Bokuto pulled out his phone trying to think clearly. It was Akaashi who was off work today right? It didn’t really matter he wasn’t really in a state of mind to think. He pressed Akaashi’s contact and the phone rang, he hoped to god that he would pick up.

“Hello, Bokuto-san?”

Akaashi voice was a relief to hear, Bokuto tried to speak but all that came out were more sobs.

“Bokuto-san, what’s wrong? Are you alright? Are you still at work? I’m coming to pick you up stay where you are.”

The phone hung up and Bokuto could feel himself start shaking. He wished Akaashi hadn’t hung up the phone; he wanted so badly to hear the younger man's voice. He clutched his hands together and gripped them tightly, he placed his head between his knees as he felt his breath getting quicker and more irregular. Akaashi got in the car and drove as fast as could toward the café, he was halfway there when he saw Bokuto crouched over sitting on the sidewalk next to the road. Akaashi pulled over and got out of the car. Bokuto was hyperventilating, his breaths were rushed barely giving him enough time to get oxygen into his lungs. Akaashi crouched down in front of him and took his tightly clenched hands in his own and squeezed them firmly as he talked in a low calm voice.

“It’s alright Bokuto-san, I’m here now. There is no need to panic. You're safe, I promise. Now if you can hear me, I need you to squeeze my hands as tightly as you can.”

Bokuto’s grip tightened around Akaashi’s hands, causing them to shake slightly like the rest of Bokuto’s body.

“Alright very good Bokuto-san. I’m going to take some nice deep breaths and I want you to try and match my breathing, okay?”

Akaashi started taking exaggerated deep breaths gently lifting Bokuto’s hands as he breathed in and lowering them as he breathed out. Bokuto tried to copy him but for the first little while all he could manage were short quick breaths in and gasps out. Tears were still falling incessantly down his cheeks. Akaashi took one of his hands and wiped away the tears moving Bokuto’s head so that he could look Akaashi in the eyes. Akaashi regrasped Bokuto’s free hand in his own and continued breathing slow and deep holding eye contact with Bokuto the whole time. Bokuto’s eyes started to focus more and more on Akaashi’s instead of a dead blank stare that made it seem like he was looking right through the curly-haired man’s beautiful eyes. With every minute that passed each breath Bokuto took gradually became slower, deeper, and more controlled, until he was breathing normally again. Akaashi helped Bokuto to his feet supporting him by draping one of Bokuto’s arms around his neck. Akaashi slowly walked him over to the car and got him situated and buckled up his seat belt before going to the driver’s side and taking them both home. Bokuto looked out the window on the way home and didn’t make an attempt to move when the car pulled up to a stop in front of their house.

Akaashi got out and went around to the other side to get him out of the car. He helped Bokuto get into the house; deciding that Bokuto’s room was too far and secluded, Akaashi took Bokuto and plopped him down on the bed in his room. Bokuto snuggled under Akaashi’s covers and buried his face into Akaashi’s pillow. The ebony-haired man sat on the edge of the bed and combed his hands through Bokuto’s spiked hair. When Akaashi got up to leave Bokuto turned over to face him and reached out to take hold of the other's arm. Bokuto guided Akaashi’s hand back to his head.

“Kashi will you please stay with me?”

Akaashi sat back down on the edge of the bed and Bokuto turned back over to face the wall. Akaashi ran his hand back through Bokuto’s hair before laying down on his bed and snuggling up to Bokuto’s back. Akaashi laced his arms around Bokuto’s middle and pulled himself closer, he pressed his forehead into the middle of Bokuto’s well muscled upper back, and he fell asleep.

When Kuroo got home from work he was surprised not to see his two friends cuddling on the couch like they usually did. As he walked in further, Misty wagged her tail as she laid a few feet outside of Akaashi’s bedroom making no effort to get up and greet her owner. Kuroo walked over and stood leaning against the door frame as he gazed at the scene before him. The door was left wide open and there was Akaashi and Bokuto cuddled up to each other: Akaashi wrapped up in Bokuto’s arms fast asleep in Akaashi’s bed together. Apple Pie jumped down from where he was sleeping curled up at the end of the bed as Kuroo approached. He sat down on the edge of the bed and poked Akaashi’s cheek. Akaashi stirred slowly and looked over to see Kuroo staring at him with a smug expression.

“You know Akaashi, if you were going to sleep with Bo you could have invited me. Now I feel all left out.” Kuroo teased, and Akaashi glared back. “Oh, I see you don’t want to share your precious wolf with anyone.” Kuroo reached over Akaashi and caressed Bokuto’s cheek. “I bet I could make him moan in pleasure beneath me, the way he did to you.”

Akaashi slapped Kuroo’s hand away startling him. That’s when he knew he took the joke too far. Akaashi had hit him pretty hard and it actually hurt. Kuroo stood up from the bed to look at Akaashi who was still glaring at him, and Bokuto who was starting to wake up at the sound of Kuroo’s hand being smacked.

“I’m sorry Akaashi, I was only kidding, but I took it too far. I know how you feel about Bo and I would never try to stand in your way, but you might want to learn how to close the door next time.”

“You idiot! Does it really look like we just had sex? Bokuto-san was upset, and I was just comforting him, and I accidently fell asleep next to him.”

Akaashi threw the covers off himself and wiggled out of Bokuto’s arms. Kuroo looked at his friends, they were both still fully clothed and if he looked close enough Bokuto’s eyes were red and puffy from crying. Oops, not only had Kuroo taken a joke too far, his assumption was way off base, and his joke had some insensitive timing. Now he could see why Akaashi had slapped his hand so hard, but he also knew that part of Akaaashi was extremely jealous of the carefree touching that he and Bokuto did with each other. Kuroo often caught Akaashi staring at the two of them when they were playfully messing around with one another. It was hard for Akaashi to be forth coming with his feelings and being touchy with people was never really something he was comfortable with, so sometimes getting close to Bokuto was hard because he was the exact opposite: wore his heart on his sleeve, super friendly and touchy with everyone, practically yelled his feelings and emotions out loud, and even if he didn’t they were clearly visible in his expressive eyes and smile. Kuroo was also a more outgoing social person, so he and Bokuto were very comfortable around each other and had no problems with physical contact it just seemed natural to them. Kuroo could see why Akaashi would get jealous, but if he only knew how Bokuto acted around him, if he only knew how Bokuto looked at him, Akaashi would never have to feel jealous ever again.

Bokuto's eyes popped open and he watched Kuroo and Akaashi who were standing near the doorway to Akaashi’s room. Wait, Akaashi’s room? Oh, right Bokuto had been crying and kind of out of it. Akaashi probably just dropped him in the closest and easiest place. Bokuto got up and the other two turned to look at him. Kuroo seemed to be snapped out of his thoughts, and Akaashi stood with his arms crossed and a kind but stern expression on his face. Bokuto knew what that look meant, he owed them an explanation, which he probably did.

“Then you finally going to tell us what has been bugging you for the past few days?” Kuroo asked

Bokuto laughed awkwardly. “So, then… you noticed?”

Akaashi and Kuroo both nodded, and then Akaashi spoke up. “Please tell us Bokuto-san, we are your friends and we just want to help.”

Bokuto let out a heavy sigh and blurted out his words, everything he had been hiding from them came out in word-vomit. “The owner of the café came to visit a couple days ago, and it turns out he is a hunter, actually he is the hunter that let me escape and saved my life, luckily he didn’t recognize me but it still makes me uncomfortable to be around him, but today I met one of the other employees and it was the owner’s son, another hunter that participated in the murder of my family, he is also the one that tortured me with the whip!” Bokuto finally took a breath after spewing out the words and shut his eyes tightly.

Bokuto opened one eye to peek at his friend’s reactions, and they were stunned completely surprised. Bokuto opened the other eye and waited for a response, it came from Akaashi.

“Bokuto-san, why didn’t you tell us? This is very important, and we don’t want you suffering alone. You can tell us anything and shouldn’t keep stuff like this from us. What if something had happened to you?”

“So, you’re not mad?” Bokuto asked hesitantly.

“Mad, no. Worried, yes. As long as you promise not to keep important secrets from us anymore, I won’t be mad.”

“Akaaaaaaashi!” Bokuto hollered. “I promise I won’t keep anymore important secrets from you or Tetsu again.”

“You should probably quit your job though.” Kuroo stated.

Bokuto deflated a little. “Yes, I plan on it, but it was such a great job, and it was so much fun. I’m going to miss the customers, and Yamaguchi, and Hinata.”

“You can still talk to them you know. You don’t have to cut all ties, just don’t go in when that person is working.” Kuroo said helpfully.

“Good idea! I have their numbers, so I can talk to them anytime, and I can still visit! I do have to make an appointment with the owner to quit though.”

“Would you like one of us to go with you?” Akaashi offered

“Nah, I’ll be fine. Suga’s not so bad, I was planning to continue working there when it was just him.”

Akaashi looked over to Kuroo then back at Bokuto. “Alright if you say so but call immediately if you need us. Kuroo-san will be off work tomorrow.”

* * *

Bokuto lingered outside Suga’s office pacing back and forth nervously.

“Come in.” Suga called from the little room.

Bokuto walked in and closed the door behind him. “I need to talk to you.”

Suga gestured for him to sit. “Is this about yesterday? Tadashi tells me you were acting very strangely and making little mistakes that normally you would never do.”

“Kind of… I think I need to quit this job… immediately.”

“Why is that Bokuto-kun? Surely you aren’t discouraged after making a few simple mistakes that were harmless.”

“Umm… No. Sorry about that by the way. But no, it's more for personal reasons.”

Suga looked at him in understanding. “I see, well if that’s all then I suppose I will have to let you go. Although I am sad to lose such a great and dedicated employee.”

Bokuto nodded his thanks and stood up to leave. He was almost out the door when he heard Suga’s voice.

“Before you leave, I would like to ask you one last question. Are you by any chance the wolf that I let escape a couple months ago?”

Bokuto’s blood ran cold, his body froze, and his eyes widened in fear. That reaction was all that Suga needed to confirm his suspicions.

“At first you only reminded me of him, but the way you acted around me was so different from how Tadashi and Shouyou described you, and then when you met Tobio, it furthered my suspicions. I have no idea how you survived but I’m glad you did, and you have no reason to fear me. I'm not planning on mentioning this to the other hunters, your secret is safe with me. I do, however, want to warn you to be careful. Our hunting party lives in Tokyo, and if they find you there isn’t a lot that I can do to help you.”

Bokuto was finally able to move his body again after Suga finished talking. “Thank you Suga, this is greatly appreciated.”

“There is no need to thank me, my family and I owe you so much more than I could ever give you after what we did. I am simply trying to do the right thing for once. Although, I am still too much of a coward to stand up to my friends and family and tell them what we are doing is wrong. How pathetic is that?” Suga had tears in his eyes now, and he had to remove the glasses he had been wearing to do paperwork, so he could wipe them away.

“I definitely can’t say what you are doing is right, but I understand that standing up to them could cause you to lose your friends and family, and I respect that despite that you are still trying to do what you think is right.”

With that Bokuto got up and left the office. He closed the door behind him and could hear Suga crying on the other side. It was almost the end of lunch break now and Yamaguchi and Hinata hadn’t eaten anything. They were waiting at the counter for Bokuto to come back and explain what was going on. Bokuto appeared around the corner and sat at the counter with his co-workers. He explained to them that he was quitting his job for personal reasons but that he would miss them and still come back to visit. Hinata ran to him and gave him a big giant hug whining about how much he would miss him and that they should hang out soon. Yamaguchi held out his hand for a handshake. After their farewells, Suga appeared from the office with slightly red eyes and offered to help the other two in the absence of Bokuto, while Bokuto casually excused himself and ran home.

* * *

It had been a couple days since Bokuto quit his job, and he was getting restless and bored with nothing to do. He had cleaned the house spotlessly the past two days in a row, and he needed something else to do. Luckily Kuroo was off work today! Bokuto waited impatiently for his friend to wake up, and when he finally did Bokuto gave him no time to think. He pushed Kuroo into the bathroom to get ready, and when he came out dressed and ready, Bokuto shoved him some food. The moment Kuroo finished eating Bokuto was at the door with Misty on her leash ready to go. Kuroo was still half asleep as they took Misty for a nice walk around the park that was already a fifteen-minute walk away. Two hours had passed when they got back home, and Misty fell asleep on her bed in Kuroo’s room. She was exhausted, but it had been just enough time for Kuroo to fully wake up. Kuroo suggested the two of them go furniture shopping for Bokuto’s room. Bokuto agreed eagerly, finally he had something to do besides clean the house! 

Bokuto and Kuroo were running up and down the aisles in the store, they would yell across the store at each other to come check something out. They would bounce up and down on the beds to test their firmness. Kuroo was laying on one of the couches with his feet on stool to test its comfortableness. One of the workers who passed by asked him to take his feet off the stool, Kuroo ignored him and called Bokuto over who was looking at some curtains. Bokuto ran over to join Kuroo on the couch but got tangled in the curtains. When he went to move, he tripped on the curtains tangled around his legs and a loud tearing sound could be heard. The worker who had chastised Kuroo for putting his feet on the stool walked over to Bokuto.

“You know you are going to have to pay for that.” The worker said flatly.

“Oh, I wasn’t planning on getting these curtains they let too much light seep through.” Bokuto responded still trying to untangle himself.

“That’s not what I meant! If you break it, you buy it!” The worker huffed.

“RUN!!!!” Kuroo yelled at him after jumping off the couch.

Bokuto got up and chased after his friend. They ran out of the store at full speed and sped away in their car.

“That was a close one.” Kuroo said breathing heavily from the effort of running away.

“Wasn’t that bad?” Bokuto asked.

“Very bad!” Kuroo chuckled, and Bokuto joined him with his boisterous laugh.

“I actually feel really bad though.”

Kuroo looked over at his friend. “You are far too kind for this world Bo.”

Bokuto just laughed, and Kuroo let out a slight chuckle, but he had actually been dead serious when he said those words. Bokuto deserved so much better than this world could give him. Kuroo drove them to another furniture store, and when they got there Kuroo sat on one of the beds and pushing on it to test out its firmness.

“Hey Bo, this one seems like a good one!”

Bokuto walked over and sat on the bed beside Kuroo. “Ya it seems decent.”

“Only one way to know for sure.”

Kuroo jumped up on the bed and pulled Bokuto up with him. Kuroo started bouncing around and caught up in the moment Bokuto joined him. One of the workers saw their shenanigans and marched over to them to tell them to get off. Bokuto sat back down on the bed.

“Sorry about that we won’t do it again.” Bokuto said rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

The worker looked up at Kuroo who had completely ignored him and continued bouncing.

“Oh, come on Bo live a little!”  
“Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave if you don’t stop right now!” The worker sounded irritated now.

Kuroo reached down and grabbed Bokuto by the hand and pulled him back up onto the bed. The worker was yelling now, but Kuroo simply ignored him and jumped over to the next bed. The worker chased them as they hopped from one bed to the next until they came to the end of the line and hopped down and ran out the door.

“And Don’t come back!” The worker yelled after the two boys.

“Tetsurou! At this rate we are going to get kicked out of every furniture store without being able to buy anything.”

“But it’s more fun this way! Don’t you think?” Kuroo gave a mischievous smile.

“I mean you’re not wrong.”

They drove to one last store only to be kicked out again for yelling across the store and disrupting other customers. They had also been running up and down the aisles and racing down the wider aisles in carts. So, it was only fair to kick them out. In a single night they had officially been banned from all the furniture stores within a reasonable driving distance from their house. To make matters worse they returned without having bought a single thing for Bokuto’s room. The boys honestly didn’t really care because they had a good time and that was all that really mattered. They returned home laughing and joking. They were greeted by Akaashi who had already gotten back from work and was waiting for them on the couch.

“Tetsu took me furniture shopping for my room!” Bokuto shouted out, excited to tell Akaashi all about his day.

“Oh, and where is all the furniture?” Akaashi asked glancing over at his roommates.

“At the furniture store!”

Kuroo couldn’t help but laugh at Bokuto’s honest answer.

“Why didn’t you guys buy anything?”

“Bo decided he would rather get your opinion, so he wanted to wait for tomorrow until you were off work.” Kuroo supplied an answer.

Akaashi quirked and eyebrow and crossed his arms, he looked over at Bokuto who gave him a giant nervous smile. It was obvious that Kuroo lied but Bokuto was so cute with his giant nervous smile plastered to his face that Akaashi dropped it.

“Whatever let’s eat.”

* * *

Akaashi pulled up to the third furniture store. Bokuto shook his head, and Akaashi was speechless. How many furniture stores had those two managed to be kicked out of in a single night? Akaashi drove off in search of another one. After going to about five other stores Akaashi finally found one that Bokuto could actually enter. They walked in and Bokuto drug Akaashi over to the curtains.

“I’m looking for some curtain I can put in the window that will shut out most light if they are closed.”

Bokuto was looking at a million different curtains at once, Akaashi could barely keep up. Bokuto was about to walk away when Akaashi grabbed his hand to stop him.

“Bokuto-san wait! Your legs are all tangled, you’ll trip and rip the curtains.”

Bokuto laughed remembering that exact thing happening yesterday. “Thanks Kashi, guess I should also get curtains that are shorter so I can’t get tangled in them.”

They looked around for a little while longer before Akaashi called Boukuto over to see some gray curtains. They were shorter but not too short, they were a nice color, and the material was thick and not much light would be able to penetrate them.

“They're perfect Kashi! You're great at this!”

Akaashi put the curtains in the cart and a tinge of red hit his cheeks at Bokuto’s praise. They made their way over to the mattresses, Bokuto sat on a couple before deciding on a decently firm one. They balanced it on the top of the cart and went to find pillows, pillows cases, sheets, a duvet, a duvet cover, and a couple blankets. Bokuto loved blankets, he always borrowed Akaashi’s. The sheets and pillowcases were white to match the walls of the room, the duvet cover was a light gray to match the curtains and the color of the chair in his room. Bokuto found two darker gray blankets and a really nice fuzzy dark green one. The green blanket didn’t match with anything but Bokuto insisted on having it claiming it was the same color as Akaashi’s eyes. Akaashi was a little shocked at the notion that Bokuto wanted a blanket the same color as his eyes, but he was even more shocked at the fact that Bokuto knew his eyes were actually green and not blue. They bought all the stuff and somehow managed to get it into the car; they drove home and dropped off the stuff in Bokuto’s room before heading back out to get the last thing on Bokuto’s list. They searched a couple stores before they found a decent sized dresser in the right shade of dark gray to match the blankets they had bought earlier in the day.

Once they got home Akaashi helped Bokuto arrange his room. They put up the curtains in the window and moved the chair so that it was next to the window. So that when Bokuto sat in the chair he could bask in the sunlight from the window if he wanted. One of the dark gray blankets was folded over the back of the large light gray chair. The bed was in the far-right hand corner, the light gray duvet complemented the light gray of the chair almost perfectly. The other dark gray blanket laid folded over the end of the bed to add contrast to the lighter colored duvet cover. They placed the dresser in the closer right hand corner, and Bokuto was finally able to put his clothes away that had been siting in the middle of the room still left in the bags they were purchased in. A small white nightstand was placed next to the bed with a picture frame holding his first picture with his friends. The picture had been taken after he got out of surgery when he was still a little loopy from the anesthetic, curtesy of Kuroo. When Bokuto looked over to see what else was left to be given a place he saw a circular carpet that alternated dark gray and light gray rings.

“Where did this come from?”

“That is my gift to you Bokuto-san. It's kind of like a moving in present.”

“Thank you, Kashi. I love it!”

Bokuto placed the carpet down in the middle of the room between the end of the bed and the wall. Bokuto had to admit it looked good, which was mostly thanks to Akaashi. If it had been left up to Bokuto everything would have been a different color, and nothing would have matched.

“Where are you going to put your green blanket, Bokuto-san?”

“I will probably just fold it and leave it on the top of my dresser, but I will use it around the house when I get cold, or when I sleep at night. It's nice and fuzzy after all!”

When Kuroo got home from work, Bokuto was bouncing up and down excited to show him how his room turned out. He practically dragged Kuroo to his room without giving him a chance to say hi to Misty who was wagging her tail happily at him. Bokuto stopped in front of the door and told Kuroo to close his eyes. Kuroo complied and Bokuto brought him to stand in the middle of the room, and then told him to open his eyes. Kuroo opened his eyes and spun around taking everything in.

“Wow! Bo it looks great! Everything even matches!”

“Well that was mostly thanks to Akaashi.” Bokuto admitted. 

“See Bo I told you, you should wait to do it with Akaashi.”

“Ummm… Tetsu, he already knows that was a lie. I had to explain when I wasn’t allowed into the stores.”

“Oh, they were serious about banning us? Hunh, guess I should remember that before doing something like that again.”

“You two are never allowed to shop alone without me ever again.” Akaashi stated flatly.

“Agaaaashi! No fair!” Bokuto said through a pout.

Kuroo chuckled before disappearing to grab Bokuto's moving in gift. He knew Akaashi would get Bokuto something, so he thought long and hard and came up with the perfect gift to contribute to the room. Kuroo returned with small rectangular shaped pieces of paper in his hands. Bokuto glanced at the curiously; upon further inspection they weren't pieces of paper but instead pictures of the time they had all spent together so far. There were a couple of Bokuto and Akaashi snuggled up on the couch, some of the three of them just hanging out around the house, some of Bokuto with Apple Pie and Misty, a couple Kuroo had taken of their shenanigans at the furniture stores, and some of Bokuto in the kitchen cooking. True to his word, Bokuto plastered them all over one of his walls, and vowed to add to the collection as they made more memories together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the seventh chapter:
> 
> \- Bokuto gets settled into his new job, becoming close friends with his new co-workers and hitting it off with the customers who adore his cooking. Upon learning that Suga is the owner of the café where he works and Tobio is an employee there, Bokuto decides to quit his job in an attempt to avoid them.  
> \- Kuroo takes Bokuto furniture shopping to furnish his new room. But they end up having an outing full of fun and somehow manage to return home without any furniture.  
> \- In the end Akaashi has to take Bokuto out furniture shopping for the task to actually be completed properly. When they get home they decorate Bokuto's new room, and Akaashi and Kuroo each gift Bokuto a small welcoming gift to add to his room.


	8. The Animal Clinic

Akaashi had just finished all the paperwork for the day and was about to start cleaning the animal cages when someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was Konoha who was supposed to be at the front desk helping customers. The day had been slow so far and at the moment nobody was in the waiting room waiting for help, and the vets were outside on a break.

“Hey Akaashi, I noticed this a while ago but figured I probably shouldn’t say anything cause it’s not really my business, but the situation hasn't seemed to improve at all.”

Akaashi tilted his head looking at his friend slightly confused.

“Umm… you and your parents haven’t really been on the best of terms lately. You barely talk to them if you don’t have to, and you’re being especially cold to your mother.”

Akaashi grimaced. He had hoped Konoha hadn’t caught on to anything regarding his argument with his mother, and honestly, he kind of forgot about it. Avoiding his parents and being cold to his mother had almost become a new normal for him now.

“We had a fight, she said some really mean things to my roommate, and she still hasn’t apologized properly for it.” Akaashi explained with a sigh.

“Roommate? She was mean to Kuroo?”

“No, my other roommate.”

“You and Kuroo have another roommate? When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me? Is this the reason you and Kuroo haven’t hung out with me in awhile because you guys were with your new roommate? Geez, that small house must be crowded with three people two dogs, and a cat.”

Akaashi stared at Konoha confused for a few minutes before realising they hadn’t told Konoha anything about Bokuto. They had only mentioned picking up a stray dog or rather wolf.

“Oh really, sorry I thought we had mentioned him. He has been staying with us for almost a month now.”

“Wow, I’m really out of loop. Anyways getting back on topic, don’t you think you could make the first move with your parents? The air around here has been pretty tense lately and I hate to see you fighting with them.”

Akaashi suppressed an annoyed sigh. He wasn't really one for confronting his problems, usually he would just simply ignore them until they went away. The ebony-haired man stayed quiet for a bit longer before remembering that Bokuto hadn't wanted Akaashi to argue with his mother either. Maybe it was time he put an end to their streak of ignoring each other, and his mother certainly wasn't going to make the first move because she was even more stubborn than Akaashi himself.

“I suppose I could try, but if she isn’t willing to apologize then there isn’t much I can do.”

“Wow she must have been really pushy with this guy if you are still mad at her. I mean I know your mom, and she was certainly very prying when I first met her and it made me uncomfortable, but it wasn’t so bad.”

“Yes, she pushed way too far on a very uncomfortable subject for him. Anyways, you should probably get back to the front desk Konoha-san.” Akaashi stated trying to end the uncomfortable discussion. 

“It isn’t like anyone is even here, but I get it. I’m going.”

Before Akaashi left for home that evening, he waited outside one of the operating rooms for his mother. He waited for about ten minutes before she came out. When she saw Akaashi waiting for her she went to him immediately. It was clear that she was eager to have the opportunity to speak to her son despite trying her best to hide it. 

“Can I help you with something?” Makoto asked in a neutral tone trying not to let her son see how much she missed him.

“Mom I just wanted to talk to you about that night we came over for di-…”

Makoto cut him off before he could finish his sentence. “Keiji, I'm so sorry about that night. I know I can be pushy but that time I just pushed way too far, and I had no idea it would be that devastating. I was just a little bit worried about you. I feel really bad about what I did, and I miss you and Kuroo-kun. I don’t want either of you to be mad at me anymore, especially you Keiji.”

“Thanks mom, I appreciate it, but I really think you need to apologize to Bokuto-san.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind being on good terms with my future son in-law.” Makoto joked.

“Mom! Bokuto-san is just a friend.”

“Still?” She asked surprised.

“Well it’s kind of complicated, with everything he has gone through.”

“That’s exactly why it's the perfect opportunity for you to swoop in and comfort him. Then I'm positive he will fall in love with you.”

“Mom! Seriously, stop it! I want him to love me just because he does, not because I was there when it was convenient. I want him to feel the same way I do about him.”

“So, then you admit it?”

“Admit what?”

“That you love him.”

Akaashi’s face turned bright red at the realization of what he said. It wasn’t a lie or anything but saying it out loud made it feel so real. Putting a word to what he felt made him feel excited and nervous at the same time, and his blush deepened. He had been denying that his feelings for the other man were anything more than a crush, but after slipping up the way he did it was hard to keep denying them. 

“I guess I do.” Akaashi said softly.

Makoto gave him a smile, she couldn’t be prouder that her quiet, reserved, closed off son, finally let someone into his heart. It was hard enough for him to make friends, she was pretty sure he only had Kuroo, and Konoha, but little by little he was growing. Akaashi’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Mom, I had one last favour to ask. If it isn’t too much trouble, would Bokuto-san be able to work here? He had to quit his job because of some things with one of the other employees. it wasn’t his fault at all by the way. He is a really hard worker, and he is great with animals because of the whole wolf thing, and it would give you two an opportunity to reconcile.” Akaashi had started rambling nervously after the first question.

“Of course, Keiji! I would love to have an opportunity to get to know my future-…”

“Mom I haven’t even told him how I feel. I have no idea how he feels, so please don’t mention that to him or anybody else, or I just might be mad at you forever this time.”

“You got it!” Makoto said happily with a thumbs up and a wink.

* * *

“Bokuto-san, I have something I want to ask you.”

“Sure, go ahead Kashi.”

“Would you consider working for my parents at the clinic? I talked to my mom, and she feels really bad about what happened, and when I mentioned you were out of a job, she offered you one at the clinic.”

That last part might have been a small lie since Akaashi had just straight up asked his mom if Bokuto could have a job, but her reaction was so enthused that he was sure she would have. Akaashi waited for Bokuto’s reply, he was kind of nervous but was pretty sure Bokuto would agree anyways because he was always so nice and quick to forgive.

“Kashi, I’m really glad you made up with your mom, but I really didn’t like being pressed with so many questions, especially about my family. I truly do forgive her, but I would rather not be put in a situation where it could happen again.”

Akaashi hadn’t expected that response from Bokuto, normally he was all cheery and like ‘sure no problem!’ and gave everyone a second chance. I guess that just went to show how cornered and hurt he must have felt. Then again Akaashi’s mother hadn’t actually apologized yet, so Bokuto had no reason to believe that it wouldn’t happen again. Then he got an idea.

“Okay Bokuto-san, but the offer still stands if you ever want it.”

“Thanks Kashi, I really do appreciate it!”

“Bokuto-san would you like to go get some ice cream?” Akaashi offered. 

“Ice cream?! Kashi what has gotten into you? It's still practically morning, Tetsu isn’t even awake yet!”

“I know but let’s go anyway.”

Akaashi pushed Bokuto out the door and into the car. Before he got in, he called his mother and told her to meet him at the park where they used to take walks when he was little. It was a beautiful park with trees and giant green open spaces. There were concrete paths for walking or running and hardly anyone ever went there. There also happened to be a cute ice cream shop nearby. Akaashi drove them over to the ice cream shop and let Bokuto pick his flavour. They waited for their ice cream, and once it arrived Akaashi took them over to sit on a bench in the nearby park. It was a lovely day outside: the sun was shining and there was a slight breeze keeping them from toasting.

“This park is beautiful Kashi.”

“I know. I used to go to that ice cream shop with my parents when I was young, and then they would bring me over here, and we would walk around until I finished my ice cream.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun!” Bokuto exclaimed bright eyed. 

“It was.”

“Hey Keiji!” A familiar voice called out to Akaashi. It was Makoto. She walked over to the two boys and saw their ice cream. “Oh, you guys went to that ice cream shop across the street! That place has the best flavours!”

Bokuto met her eyes and smiled at her softly, not one of his big face splitting grins, but a genuine smile all the same. Makoto returned the smile.

“I heard from Keiji that you had to quit your job. If you ever want, there is always room for you at the clinic!”

Akaashi sighed, of course his mother lead with offering him a job instead of an apology, this was going to get them nowhere but turned down again. Akaashi looked over at Bokuto who was clearly struggling to find words to politely decline her.

“I’m not sure how much help I would be at and animal clinic. I don’t have any of the knowledge that Akaashi or Tetsurou do.” Bokuto replied sheepishly. 

“Well I mean I won’t force you or anything, but Keiji tells me you are pretty good with animals, and the other stuff can be learned. I also wouldn’t mind having the chance to get to know my son’s new _friend_.”

Bokuto looked at her surprised. Akaashi knew there was a possibility that Bokuto would take that as another attempt to pry seeing as how his mother had still failed to apologize and went right in to getting to know him. Akaashi shot her a look that said she better watch her step. Makoto clearly got the message this time and recomposed herself so she could rephrase her last sentence.

Makoto spoke up again. “Although this time, I would like to get to know you better slowly, and on your terms, and if it’s alright with you I would like to take this chance to officially apologize for that night.”

Bokuto's eyes widened again. “I forgive you. I understand why you would be so curious about the people hanging around your son, especially when you are treating them for something serious like a bullet wound. As long as you give me a chance to warm up to you a bit, and don’t press my family matters, I will be an open book before you know it. As for the other thing, I would be honoured to work at your clinic, if you can excuse my inexperience in the field.”

Akaashi’s lips turned up slightly into a small smile, and there it was: Bokuto being far too kind again. His mother hadn’t even actually apologized yet, just mentioned that she was going to and Bokuto had already forgiven her and offered her understanding for her actions. On top of all that he accepted the job.

“That’s great!” Makoto cheered. “Don’t worry kiddo you’ll be great!” Makoto gave a wave before walking off.

The two boys returned home to find Kuroo on the couch with Misty watching one of his favourite shows.

“Where did the two of you run off to so early in the morning? I couldn’t believe Akaashi was up before me, not only awake but gone somewhere that wasn’t work on a weekend.”

“We went and got ice cream!” Bokuto exclaimed.

Kuroo looked at Akaashi with his eyebrows raised. “Seriously? The one time you wake up before me, and you take Bo out for ice cream and leave me here.”

“Sorry but I had some business to take care of.” Akaashi said without any intonation.

“And what might that have been?” Kuroo asked with a smirk.

“Oh yeah, and I got a job!” Bokuto cut in ignoring Kuroo and Akaashi’s side conversation.

“Where are you going to be working?”

“With you and Akaashi at the clinic!” Bokuto boomed proudly.

Kuroo looked over at Akaashi with a knowing smile. “So that’s the business you were referring to. I think my idea of business would have been much hotter but alright, I’m cool with this.”

* * *

The weekend was short and Monday morning came in a hurry. Today was Bokuto’s first day of work at the clinic and he was going to be trained by Kuroo. This was going to be exciting! God only the knows the trouble the two of them could get up to. Kuroo drove them to the clinic, and when they got there, they both greeted Akaashi’s parents happily.

“Kuroo-kun, today I want you on front desk duty, teach Bokuto-kun everything you know." Makoto said in a hurry. "I almost forgot please handle the introductions when Konoha gets here, Akio and I are going to be very busy today.” Makoto said before scurrying off into one of the operating rooms to prepare for the day.

Bokuto and Kuroo sat in the waiting room waiting for Konoha to arrive so they could open the clinic and get started for the day.

“Usually, whoever gets here first starts on paperwork, when the paperwork is done, that person cleans animal cages and helps the vets hold animals for check ups when necessary. The person who arrives later is on front desk duties which is where you help the customers book appointments for their pets and call the patients names when the vets are ready for their appointments. But Makoto-san wanted me to start you off with front desk duty so we will wait for Konoha. Oh, and if you are ever on shift with Akaashi, we almost always give him the paperwork, and animal duty because he's really good at it and he hates front desk duty.” Kuroo explained while they waited.

“You guys are really sweet on Akaashi. If you let him get out of something just cause he hates it, he'll start expecting it all the time.”

Kuroo laughed. “Ya, I guess we might spoil him a little too much.”

A few minutes later a male with blond hair who was a little shorter than Akaashi burst through the doors.

“I’m sorry I’m late, guess I’m on front desk… Hello there, who are you?” The man asked looking at Bokuto.

Kuroo stood up to face the man. “Konoha this is Bokuto Koutarou, my other roommate. He is going to be working here starting today.”

“Oh, so this is the roommate I only heard about a few days ago.” Konoha said glancing over Bokuto.

“Really? I thought for sure we would have mentioned him to you before. I mean he has been living with us for about a month now.” Kuroo said trying to think back to see if Bokuto had ever come up in a conversation with Konoha.

“You probably never got the chance to mention him to me cause you guys were too busy hanging out with him instead of me. It has been at least a month that I haven’t seen you or Akaashi outside of work. I used to hangout at your place all the time.” Konoha said his eyes still looking over Bokuto as if he were a suspicious foreigner.

Bokuto chuckled slightly choking down his overzealous laugh that threatened to escape his mouth. “Sorry about that, I was quite a handful when I first moved in with them.”

Kuroo couldn’t hold back his laugh. “Ah! Bo! You certainly were a handful back then!”

Konoha cut off their moment with a slightly harsh tone. “You two sure seem close.”

Kuroo quit his laughing and gave Konoha a sly grin. “We are. You jealous?”

“Of course not!” Konoha scoffed.

“Anyways, you get paperwork and animals today. Makoto-san wanted me to teach Bo front desk duty.”

Konoha disappeared into a small room that functioned as the office. Kuroo hadn’t expected Konoha to be so hostile towards Bokuto, but fortunately Bokuto was very likeable, and he was positive they would get along fine by the end of the day. Kuroo put up the open sign and logged onto the computer. He told Bokuto that he would get a login and an account soon but until then he could use Kuroo’s. Kuroo showed him where to find everything. He showed him where the calendar was, where he schedules appointments, and where he should go when the customers came to pay. For the first little bit Bokuto sat back and watched everything Kuroo did for the customers. Soon enough the waiting room was full of people waiting for their appointments. Kuroo let Bokuto take over while he watched, helping when Bokuto needed it. Bokuto picked it up pretty fast, the job itself was pretty easy. The hard part was keeping up with the quick pace of things and interacting with the customers; however, Bokuto was a quick person. Everything he did was fast paced and loud, so the quick pacing was actually good for him, it kept interested and from getting bored, It also kept him engaged. As for interacting with the customers, Bokuto was even more of a social butterfly than Kuroo and had no problem talking with the customers, asking them questions, or giving them recommendations for appointment dates.

Lunch break came quickly and Kuroo was already exhausted, even though he wasn’t the one manning the front desk he still had to pay attention to everything in case Bokuto made a mistake, forgot something or needed help, and it was a very busy day. Bokuto on the other hand was hyped right up from all the work. Once he got going there was no bringing him down. He had endless energy, and with so much going on around him it just made him more excited and pumped up. That was one thing Kuroo never understood about Bokuto. Even though they were similar in a lot of other ways, too many people still made Kuroo tired where as Bokuto just fed off the energy and became more buzzed and ready to go.

“So, how was your first day? It’s hard when it’s this busy hunh. Thinking about quitting already?” Konoha asked Bokuto while they ate their lunch.

Bokuto ignored Konoha’s condescending tone and replied with delight and a huge smile. “Not at all! This job is great, the people are all so nice and friendly! I love how the older people like to talk to you while you’re not busy and they’re waiting for their appointment.”

Konoha was surprised at the genuine happy attitude Bokuto had about the work. No matter how hard Konoha tried he hated when days were this busy and he had to talk to so many people all day long, and the elderly who started up conversations with him when he finally had a bit of a break just drove him crazy. Konoha looked over at Kuroo who was exhausted and had his head placed down on the table. He looked up when felt eyes on him; Konoha was staring at him completely speechless.

“Don’t look at me, even I don’t know where he gets his boundless energy. And if you were wondering, yes he's always like this.”

“Like what?” Bokuto asked curiously.

“So simple minded, genuinely nice, way too kind, optimistic, and full of energy.” Kuroo listed all the things that came to mind when he thought of Bokuto.

Bokuto looked over at Kuroo who had slumped his head back down on the table. “I’m not too kind, how can someone possibly be too kind? And I might be kinda dumb, but don’t you think it's kind of rude to call someone simple minded.”

Konoha chuckled as he watched the two of them interact.

“Bo, Makoto-san practically dug up the most painful part of your life, laid it out in front of you, demanded you explain, and you gave her the best explanation you could possibly managed, then forgave her before she had actually even apologized. You even offered understanding for her actions. Who the hell does that? You don’t forgive someone until they apologize properly, and you certainly don’t try to understand their reasoning for hurting you.”

Bokuto looked at Kuroo who had raised his head to meet his friend's gaze. “I don’t know it just happens! I can’t help but forgive people when they show even the slightest bit of guilt because if I didn’t they would have to carry around that guilt, so if I can lessen it even just a bit by forgiving someone, that really isn’t a big deal. It also takes way too much effort to stay mad at someone.”

Kuroo smiled fondly at his friend. “What can I say, you are just too kind-hearted for this world, and I wish people would stop making you suffer so much for that.”

The conversation got deep really fast, and Konoha felt like he was intruding on a conversation he wasn’t meant to hear, and he was partially right. Kuroo had totally forgotten about him and had spewed personal things from Bokuto life in front of a small audience. When Kuroo looked over at Konoha and met his eyes, his own widened and he shot his head back to look at Bokuto.

“I’m so sorry Bo, I forgot he was here. I didn’t mean to put your personal life on display to a stranger.”

Bokuto gave him a large radiant smile. “It’s fine Tetsu! It isn’t like you got into the details or anything. And if you trust Konoha and consider him a friend then he isn’t really a stranger at all then now is he.”

“But he is to you.” Kuroo continued, but Bokuto was quick to shut down Kuroo’s worries.

“I trust your judgement.” Bokuto stated simply.

Konoha was in awe of the man before him, he could no longer hold and hostility or grudge against this man. He was as pure as his bright honey colored eyes. A genuinely kind person. Konoha could tell based on the conversation between him and Kuroo he had a lot of bad things happen to him. But if this conversation had never happened, Konoha would have thought Bokuto was given the world, only seen the bright side of life, never experienced any harsh realities just because he was so pure, optimistic, and truly kind. Lunch break was over, and the rest of the day continued just a busily as it had been in the morning. After the customers had all left and the three men had started cleaning up in preparation for closing time, Konoha pulled Kuroo aside while Bokuto was wiping down the desk and floors.

“You and Bokuto sure are close, aren’t you? Is there perhaps something else there?” Konoha asked curiously after having observed Kuroo and Bokuto's antics the whole day.

“What, you mean like do I love him?”

“Yeah.”

“I do, but not romantically, he's practically family to me, one of my best friends. He is my best bro.”

“But you two are so… clingy, with each other.”

“Nah, you know me I'm a fairly touchy person, and Bo is me amplified ten-fold, so we kinda have this very comfortable with contact sort of relationship but trust me we are only friends.”

“So, he is like this with everyone?”

“Well he's touchy and overly friendly with everyone, but he's only this extreme with people he's close to.”

“That’s crazy, if I didn’t know any better, I could have sworn that you were dating.”

Kuroo laughed. “Well if you thought that about me, wait until you see Akaashi around him.”

“What does that mean?” Konoha asked confused.

“You’ll see tomorrow, just trust me; it will surprise you.”

* * *

It was Bokuto’s second day of work, and today Akaashi would be training him to complete the paperwork, clean the animal cages, and how to handle the animals for the vet. Bokuto was excited but a little more nervous than the previous day. Bokuto was good with customers he knew that, so it had gone smoothly. Today he would be working with animals, and although he was good with them, he couldn’t help but feel like it might be different in a situation where the animals were stressed and in a new environment. Akaashi drove them to work, and when they got there Konoha was already waiting for them.

“Makoto-san said she wanted you to teach Bokuto the paperwork and animals today.” Konoha said.

The thing Kuroo had said about waiting until he saw Akaashi with Bokuto still ran through his head. He was observing his friend closely as they entered the clinic; he seemed like the same old Akaashi to Konoha. He had on his neutral expression that never seemed to waver, except for in rare cases, he appeared as unenthused as ever, and his voice was the same flat slightly cold tone he used on everybody when he had greeted Konoha. Konoha tried to keep his eye on him throughout the day which proved to be difficult considering he was managing the front desk today and it was a busy day. Not as busy as yesterday but still busy.

Akaashi showed Bokuto how to fill out the paperwork with the information provided by the patients. Once he watched a couple times, Akaashi split the stack of paper in half and gave half to Bokuto. This was the kind of slow-moving boring stuff Bokuto dreaded doing, but Akaashi seemed so at peace and happy doing nothing but simple paperwork in silence. It was hard for Bokuto to stay quiet so long, but he knew Akaashi liked the silence, so he tried his best. The white-haired man got distracted easily and had to refocus himself about several times, but they eventually got through all the paperwork. Apparently, they finished earlier than usual; According to Akaashi it usually took until lunch, but in Bokuto’s mind it took forever, and his energy had started to dwindle. It picked right back up when they moved to the room, where some of their overnight, or slightly longer-term patients stayed. Bokuto scanned the room, there was a variety of different animals, from cats to dogs, birds to mice/hamsters, and a pig.

“I didn’t realize your parents cared for all kinds of animals.” Bokuto said.

“Yes, they are small animal vets, so anything that can be classified as a small animal, they can treat. Sometimes if someone brings in a really strange animal, they might need to do more research and consult a specialist, but both my parents have done extra schooling for exotic animals. They usually have a decent idea of treatment options.”

“That’s really cool Kashi! What kind of vet do you want to be?”

“I am going to start out as a small animal vet like my parents, but I'm thinking about specializing in larger exotic animals, like wolves, members of the big cat family, bears… and others like that.”

“Wow! I just know you are going to be a great vet.”

“Thanks, Bokuto-san.”

After Akaashi finished showing Bokuto around the animal room and explained what they were going to do, it was lunch break. Akaashi, and Bokuto met Konoha in the break room. Bokuto thought Konoha was being suspiciously quiet compared to yesterday, so he thought he would talk to him and start up a conversation. He still didn't know Konoha very well and vice versa, so the only thing he could think to talk about was work. 

“How is the front desk going today? Are their lots of customers? Did Anna bring in her pet turtle today?”

Konoha was slightly overloaded with the multiple questions in quick succession. “Umm… it's going fine, busy but not as bad as yesterday, and who is Anna?”

“Oh, that’s good! Anna was one of the nice older ladies I talked to yesterday. I scheduled her an appointment for today, she told me all about Pete, her granddaughter’s pet turtle, and how he has been pretty sick the past few days. So, I was just wondering if you’ve seen her yet, her appointment was for ten thirty.”

“Ah, yes. I remember the lady with the turtle, but I'm kind of shocked you do, and the exact time of her appointment as well.”

Akaashi laughed slightly and gave Bokuto a small smile. “Of course, you would remember an old lady with her pet turtle.” Akaashi looked over to Konoha. “He makes a habit of remembering everyone who is nice to him. He has a surprisingly good memory, although I feel like he uses it selectively.”

“Kashi! Don’t be mean.”

“I wasn’t Bokuto-san, I was simply stating the truth.”

Konoha was examining Akaashi closely, he had brought out one of his rare smiles, praised someone, and teased them all within one conversation. Akaashi who rarely showed interest in other people, remained reserved with his thoughts and feelings, and no matter how much he was teased, he simply got annoyed and very rarely teased back. Konoha thought maybe it was just a fluke and continued to watch his friend interact with the toned man across from him. Konoha also couldn’t get over the casual manner in which he addressed Akaashi, his friend had always been really persistent that everyone called him by his full last name, no first name basis, and no nicknames.

“Hey, Kashi do you think I should start preparing dinners the night before? Because I get home a lot later with this job than my previous one and it doesn't leave a lot of time for cooking.”

“Bokuto-san there is no need for you to cook for us every night, on days when you are working, we can just order delivery or take out.”

“Awe, but I like cooking for you, and you know you like it too.” Bokuto said with a pleading smile.

“Yes, your cooking is very good Bokuto-san.”

Konoha interrupted the two. “Where did you work before Bokuto?”

“I worked at a small café on the outskirts of Tokyo, about a fifteen-minute drive from our house.”

“Oh, I think I know the one. Why did you quit?”

Konoha noticed Akaashi shoot him a slight glare.

“Umm… personal reasons I guess.”

Konoha didn’t press further on the subject, but he had never received a glare from Akaashi with such intensity and clear intent; don’t you _dare_ push any further. Normally Akaashi’s glares were half-hearted at best, and they were just to let Konoha know that he was annoyed with his teasing. This glare was harsh, with clear meaning behind it, and dare he say a hint of protectiveness. Akaashi had never shown enough interest in people to be protective of anyone before, perhaps he had just misinterpreted it.

“So, Bokuto how is the paperwork going?”

“We finished that about half an hour before lunch, and it was so boring I nearly fell asleep.” Bokuto whined. 

Konoha laughed. “So that’s the kind of thing that drains your energy, I may have to remember that for future reference.”

“But all the animals are so nice! I can’t wait to clean out their cages and get to know them all better!”

“Wait, you guys went in to see the animals?” Konoha asked surprised.

“Yeah, why?”

“Well I mean they usually make a lot of noise whenever someone goes in there, especially new people. They never make a sound when it’s just Akaashi, but I figured with you they would go crazy.”

“Bokuto-san actually happens to be really good with animals. Maybe even better than me.” Akaashi said with the hint of a smile creeping onto his face.

“Akaaaaaashi! Nobody is better that you!” Bokuto exclaimed.

Akaashi turned away from the beefy man in front of him, but Konoha was certain he caught a blush dusting Akaashi’s cheeks. What Kuroo had said to him the other day about Akaashi and Bokuto finally made sense. The beautifully stunning man with curly black hair that was Akaashi Keiji was interested in Bokuto, maybe even in a romantic way. This was an interesting development, and Konoha found himself becoming more and more curious. Was it mutual? Were they already dating? How did this happen? Konoha had so many questions running through his head that were all cut off at the sound of Akaashi’s voice asking if he was coming. Lunch break was over, and they had to return to work.

Akaashi took Bokuto back into the room where all the animals were being held. He showed Bokuto everything they had to do: clean the cages, gives the animals more water, feed them, and special requirements for each individual that was written on the sheets that hung on the outside of every cage. While they were cleaning the cages, they were allowed to let the animals out, but only one at a time. The first was and elderly brown tabby cat named Mika. Mika seemed to really like Akaashi she circled his legs rubbing up against him and purring. Bokuto bent down and held out his hand, and Mika pranced oved to him with her tail held proudly in the air. She brushed her face against Bokuto’s hand, and Bokuto just remained still and let her choose how to be pet. After meeting her Bokuto stood back up and proceeded to clean out the cage as Akaashi instructed him. When it was time for Mika to go back Akaashi picked her up and she gripped her nails into his shirt not wanting to go back in the cage; Akaashi stroked her head with one finger whispering to her softly until she released her grip and he was able to put her back in the cage. Bokuto gave her a couple scratches through the bars of the cage before washing his hands and moving on to the next animal. Bokuto met a couple other cats and dogs, before coming to open a cage for little Cocker Spaniel puppy named Patches. The puppy was so energetic and rambunctious that he nearly knocked over some of the cleaning supplies when he ran into the cupboard Bokuto had forgotten to close. Fortunately, Akaashi was able to catch the bottle of bleach before it spilled all over the floor.

“Bokuto-san, do you think you could calm him down? He is clearly way too hyper, and he might rip his stitches.”

Bokuto nodded and began releasing weak calming pheromones. His pheromones were harder to use in his human form, but they were still effective on animals; however, they would be a lot less effective on another werewolf while in human form. Patches immediately settled down and Bokuto and Akaashi were able to clean out the puppy’s cage without further incident. The last animal they dealt with had been there a little longer than the others, it was a gorgeous Macaw parrot. He was a beautiful scarlet color with yellow, green, and blue feathers lining his wings.

“This is Stiles, he is currently our longest patient, he has been here for just over two weeks now. He is very shy and not great with new people. After over two weeks all I'm able to do is gently rub my finger above his beak. We aren’t allowed to let him out of the cage because his wings aren’t clipped, and he can still fly. We don’t want him getting hurt trying to fly away from us.” Akaashi explained as he moved to open the cage just enough to get the water dish out.

Akaashi almost had the cage shut when the parrot started flapping his wings frantically getting one of them caught in the cage door. Akaashi opened the door a little wider so the bird could free his wing, but instead the bird took the opportunity to fly out of the cage. The bird flew two laps around the room almost as if he was stretching his wings before landing on Bokuto’s broad shoulder. Bokuto stood dead still turning only his eyes to observe it. Akaashi didn’t move either in fear of scaring the bird away. The parrot sat on Bokuto’s shoulder for a minute before hopping over closer to his neck; the bird nuzzled his head into Bokuto’s hair and gently nibbled on the top of his ear.

“I think he likes you Bokuto-san.” Akaashi giggled.

Bokuto finally relaxed and raised his hand to touch the bird. The bird instantly rubbed his head against Bokuto’s hand giving him permission to pet him.

“He was probably sick of being stuck in that cage for so long and needed to spread his wings.” Bokuto chuckled. “Isn’t that right Stiles?”

The parrot answer to his name with a whistle. Akaashi look upon the scene fondly, he couldn’t help but sneak his phone out and take a picture. Bokuto walked over to the table in the middle of the room and leaned over so the parrot could hop off his shoulder, but Stiles didn’t budge.

“Come on buddy, I have to clean your cage, so you have to get off.” Bokuto tried to gently push the large bird off his shoulder and onto the table.

“He can stay there while you clean it if he wants.” Akaashi said.

Bokuto’s face lit up in a smile “Great!”

Bokuto proceeded to clean Stiles’ cage while Stiles sat on Bokuto’s shoulder watching him happily.

“Missed a spot” The bird cooed.

Bokuto turned his head to face the bird. “Really?” Bokuto asked with an unimpressed expression.

The bird bobbed his head up and down. “Really, really, really.” He repeated Bokuto’s words.

“You certainly are a picky bird you know.”

“Jingle bells, jingle bells.” The bird paused waiting for Bokuto to pick up the song where he left off.

“Jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!” Bokuto sang loudly and very off key.

“Hey!” The bird chimed in.

“Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh. Over the fields we go, laughing all the way!”

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” The bird cackled. 

“Bells on bobtails ring, making spirits bright, what fun it is to laugh and sing a sleighing song tonight!”

“Hey!”

After the song finished the bird was cooing and cawing trying to get Bokuto to sing it again. The parrot would start the song and wait for Bokuto to continue it, and when he didn’t the bird would start the song again. Bokuto finally just gave in and sang with the bird to get him to stop annoying him. Akaashi lost count of how many times the two sang the song, but it was endearing to watch. It was also funny to watch how Bokuto would get annoyed but then gave in every time. Finally, Bokuto put the bird back in the cage and gave him a small stroke with his finger on the side of the bird’s face. The bird cozied up to Bokuto’s touch and then waddled over to get some water after all the singing. Bokuto and Akaashi left the room and went to get ready to clean up for the night. It had taken Bokuto a good twenty minutes to get Stiles off his shoulder and back into the cage, so Konoha had already started cleaning up and it was close to closing time.

“Bokuto were you singing jingle bells? It’s the middle of summer what in the world were you doing?” Konoha asked in a mocking tone.

“Don’t look at me!” Bokuto protested “It was Stiles’ idea, and once we started, he wouldn’t stop.”

“Stiles? You mean the parrot that hates everyone, except for kind of Akaashi?”

“Yeah! Stiles is my new best friend! He likes hanging out on my shoulder, and criticizes the way I clean his cage, and forces me to sing Christmas songs.”

Konoha looked over at Akaashi with a disbelieving face. Surely, Bokuto was lying. That bird hardly even let Akaashi touch him, and Bokuto expected Konoha to believe that the bird sat on Bokuto’s shoulder and talked to him. Akaashi’s expression didn’t change as Konoha stared at him for an answer.

“It’s true. I accidently let him out of the cage, and he went and sat on Bokuto-san. Bokuto-san was also able to calm down Patches, and Mika really liked him.” Akaashi said with an unchanging expression.

Konoha’s face dropped and his mouth gaped open wide. “He has to be some kind of animal whisperer or at least part animal to be able to accomplish that.”

The mood suddenly shifted and got a little more tense. Both Akaashi and Bokuto were throwing nervous glances between each other and Konoha. it only last a couple seconds and Konoha began to wonder if he'd imagined it. Had he said something wrong? That was kind of an odd reaction to a simple sentence.

“Just good with animals.” Bokuto said rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

“Okay…” Konoha wasn’t really sure how to reply. “Anyways, I already finished cleaning up for the night, so we can all just go home now.”

“Great!” Bokuto cheered.

With that one word from Bokuto all the tense atmosphere surrounding the three seemed to melt away, and Konoha honestly thought he imagined it at first, but when he looked over at Akaashi he could tell he was still slightly tense. Bokuto and Akaashi waved goodbye to Konoha before leaving the building and heading home. Konoha was about to leave when he noticed a phone light up in the dark. He walked over to the counter to find a phone with a message from Kuroo that said: hey, Bo could you and Akaashi pick up dinner on the way home, I’m starving. So, it was Bokuto’s phone. Konoha picked it up and took it with him, he and Bokuto were both off tomorrow, so he could drop by the house and give it to him. It would also give Konoha the opportunity to ask Bokuto all the questions that had been running through his head at lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the eighth chapter:
> 
> \- Konoha noticed the tension between Akaashi and his mother at work. Konoha convinced him to make it right with her for the sake of their relationship as well as the work environment.  
> \- Akaashi tricked Bokuto into meeting with his mother so that she could apologize for being rude at dinner. She also offered him a job at the clinic since he was currently jobless and then she could get to know him better.  
> \- Bokuto forgave Akaashi's mom and accepted the job. He started his first day of work at the clinic being trained by Kuroo. He also met Konoha for the first time who was a little hostile at first.  
> _ On his second day of work Bokuto was trained by Akaashi and met all the clinic's patients. He also managed to leave his phone behind when he left. Konoha picked it up in hopes of returning it to its owner the nest day.


	9. Konoha's Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mild mentions of suicide.  
> This Chapter contains very mild mentions of past feelings of hopelessness and wanting to kill one's self. This part is very short, but if you wish to skip it stop reading on Bokuto's speech that starts out like 'I knew humans could be cruel...' and pick it up right after on the next paragraph.

Konoha had woken up later than he planned, it was almost noon now and he had only woken up half an hour ago. Konoha could sleep all day if he let himself, but today he had things to do, such as returning Bokuto’s phone. Since nobody had said anything, he probably still hadn’t noticed it was gone. Konoha drove over to the house where Bokuto lived. He was very familiar with it: he Kuroo and Akaashi had spent so much time there on weekends just hanging out, or he would join them for dinner after work. The three of them had spent a lot of time studying together during school, and Kuroo and Akaashi’s place was the quietest. He really missed spending so much time with the two of them and had felt really hurt when he found out they were spending less time together because of their new roommate Bokuto. Once Konoha had gotten to know Bokuto better he could no longer be mad at the man, and so he came up with the idea to get to know him better so the four of them could spend time together comfortably. This was going to be his first step in getting to know Bokuto better, as well as interrogate him about his relationship with Akaashi.

When Konoha arrived at the house he walked up to the front porch and knocked on the door. He noticed that they had still failed to get a doorbell and couldn’t help but laugh to himself. He waited a few minutes with no answer, so he knocked again. Still there was no answer, Bokuto must be out doing other things. He thought about coming back later when he was home but instead decided it would be easier to just drop it off now. Konoha got out his phone and texted Kuroo who would be on break by now.

 **To Kuroo:** Hey, Bokuto forgot his phone at the clinic yesterday, so I stopped by ur place to drop it off, but no one's home. Would it be alright if I let myself in and left it on the coffee table by the couch?

Kuroo’s reply was immediate.

 **From Kuroo:** Sure, no problem! You still remember where we keep the spare key right?

 **To Kuroo:** Yes, thx!

Konoha lifted up the flowerpot next to the door and grabbed the spare key hidden beneath it. There had been many times where Kuroo had forgotten things at home and asked Konoha to grab them for him because he was in class and Konoha wasn’t; therefore, he knew where the spare key was kept. Konoha still always asked before using it though otherwise he felt like he was intruding. Konoha walked in the door and was met with a big slobbery kiss from Misty. That reminded him they were supposed to have another dog now, weren’t they? Oh well whatever maybe the other dog was shy and hiding somewhere.

Konoha walked over to the couch to place the phone on the coffee table but paused when he saw a huge white dog with black flecks on its underside asleep on the couch. Geez that was a big dog! Konoha moved forward to place the phone on the table carefully to not wake the dog, but he took another pause. He took a second glance at the dog, and something was definitely off. This animal was far larger than any dog should be: its paws were ten times the size of Misty’s and she wasn’t exactly a small dog. It had pointy ears and very sharp teeth; this animal looked more like a…. His train of thought was cut off by another one that floated into his mind. This animal’s fur was very similar to Bokuto’s hair color. Then the two thoughts came crashing together into a huge realization. He was thinking this animal looked more like a wolf than a dog, and its coat was the same as Bokuto’s two-toned hair. This animal was definitely a wolf, and he was pretty sure it was Bokuto. Fear gripped him, and he slowly began to back away; he was startled when the animal’s eyes shot open to reveal beautiful brightly glowing honey colored orbs staring at him. It was definitely Bokuto, with those eyes there was no mistaking it now.

Konoha dropped the phone to the floor and made a run for it. He didn’t even look back as he dashed out the front door slamming it behind him. He jumped in his car and drove away at full speed, not checking to see if he was being followed. When he got home Konoha locked the front door and ran to his room and jumped under the covers. Bokuto was a wolf! A werewolf, and he was living with Kuroo and Akaashi. Wait, did Kuroo and Akaashi know about this? Konoha thought back to some of their previous conversations, of course they knew. They said they had found a stray injured dog around the same time Bokuto started living with them. Kuroo was super nervous when he started spilling information about Bokuto’s past, and Akaashi had gotten super uptight when Konoha had jokingly said Bokuto must be part animal. What were his friends thinking living with such a dangerous creature? It could hurt them or worse it could kill them. Konoha thought he should probably tell someone about this, anyone who could get rid of the wolf. Konoha came to a chilling realization, who exactly did he plan to tell about this? How was anybody supposed to deal with this sort of problem? Would his friends be mad at him? They really seemed to care for Bokuto. Akaashi seemed to like him in a romantic way, and he didn’t seem like such a bad person. No! Konoha couldn’t afford to think like that. Bokuto was dangerous end of story! He was probably manipulating Kuroo and Akaashi. Yet Konoha still had no way of doing anything to help. He didn’t get much sleep that night mulling over every option in his head.

* * *

Bokuto was laying spread out on the couch with Apple Pie curled up on his stomach. Kuroo and Akaashi both had work today which meant Bokuto would be at home alone for most of the day. He had woken up early like every other day to make breakfast for Kuroo and Akaashi, then he sent them off. After the two left Bokuto took Misty on a morning run. When they got back, she was tired and went to sleep in Kuroo’s room. Since the house was already clean, and his room was finally fully set up, he was stuck with nothing to do. Sitting around the house was boring, but he still didn’t know the area well enough to go out on his own unless it was to get groceries which they already had or to stop by the café. Bokuto had been wanting to stop by the café to see Hinata and Yamaguchi, but when he had looked in on his run Tobio was on shift today. He would rather not confront his fears at the moment so that left lazing around on the couch with Apple Pie and watching some TV. Bokuto became increasingly bored, Tv was no fun unless he was watching with someone. He wanted nothing more than to talk throughout the whole thing with Kuroo while Akaashi listened to their meaningless rambling over the simplest things. Before he had even noticed he drifted off to sleep.

Bokuto was in a deep relaxing sleep when all of a sudden, a certain smell took over and overwhelmed him. Bokuto’s eyes shot open to a man standing in front of him. It wasn’t Kuroo or Akaashi but it looked vaguely familiar. Bokuto was still a little dazed from sleep, but the sudden sound of something hitting the floor sharpened his senses. It was Konoha, and he smelled of fear. Why was Konoha afraid? Why was Konoha in the house? Bokuto froze as Konoha took off running out the door. Shit! Shit! Shit! Oh, fuck! Bokuto was in his wolf form. Bokuto quickly changed into his human form and wrapped a blanket around his waist he ran out the door hoping to stop Konoha, but it was too late. Konoha’s car was speeding away. Bokuto went back into the house pacing back and forth nervously. Okay think! Should I call Kuroo and Akaashi and let them know what happened. No, they were at work. He couldn’t bother them at work; he would have to tell them when they got home. That would still be keeping his promise of no secrets to Akaashi. How did this even happen?

Bokuto had gotten so bored that he had fallen asleep, and unconsciously changed into wolf form in his sleep. It was very rare and didn’t happen often but if he was feeling safe and comfortable enough his body would go into a deep sleep, and he wouldn’t be able to hear anything and he would casually slip into wolf form. Damn it! He had started to get way too comfortable and let his guard down. Although, he never would have thought that Konoha or anybody for that matter would just walk into the house. The door had been locked he was sure about it. Bokuto finally stopped pacing and sat on the couch. This was bad! Konoha had been really frightened and there is no telling what humans are capable of when they get scared. All Bokuto could do at this point was try to come up with a plan before Akaashi and Kuroo got home at least then when he told them they would hopefully be a little more calm about it.

Although Bokuto’s had not stopped thinking after Konoha left, he had still failed to come up with a plan, and Kuroo and Akaashi would be home any minute now. Kuroo and Akaashi walked through the door. It seemed like they had a good day at work. Great Bokuto was about to ruin a good day for them. He second guessed himself and thought about not telling them for a minute, but that would be breaking his promise to Akaashi and he didn’t want that. The two walked over to greet him. Bokuto couldn't even manage to greet them back, he needed to get this out of the way before he changed his mind.

“I-I have something really important I have to tell you guys.” Bokuto’s voice was trembling slightly.

The other two quickly moved to sit on the couch on either side of Bokuto to listen.

“I’m-I’m so sorry!" Bokuto cried out. “I got too comfortable and it led to carelessness and I’m so sorry.”

“What happened Bokuto-san?” Akaashi asked getting worried now.

“I got really bored doing nothing and ended up falling asleep on the couch. The next think I knew the smell of fear woke me up and there was Konoha staring at me in my wolf form. I was in such a deep sleep I didn’t even notice him come in. I-I don’t even know how he got in the door was locked I swear it was!” Bokuto broke down sobbing.

Akaashi gave Kuroo a questioning glance, confused as to why Konoha would be here, but Kuroo seemed to know. He wouldn’t meet Akaashi’s eyes.

“Shit! Bo I'm so sorry! I didn’t even think… Konoha came by to drop off your phone because you left it at the clinic yesterday. He said he knocked, and no one was home, so I just told him to use the spare key to get in and leave it on the coffee table.”

“How could you do that! You idiot! Bokuto-san could be in serious trouble now!” Akaashi practically growled at Kuroo who shrunk away under the intensity of his anger.

“Kashi, calm down. This wasn’t Tetsu’s fault. He couldn’t have known. I guess I was just getting too comfortable because the two of you are so kind to me. I got complacent and now I have to deal with the consequences.”

“You’re right Bokuto-san this wasn’t Kuroo-san’s fault, but it wasn’t yours either. I’m sorry I got angry and yelled at you Kuroo-san.”

“It’s okay Akaashi I probably should have been a little more careful. But Bo this is your home, we want you to feel comfortable here. It's a good thing to have a place where you can relax and not have to worry, I’m just sorry something had to ruin it for you. This was an unavoidable accident, nobody’s fault. But please don’t let it take away your safe space. Konoha is a reasonable guy, Akaashi and I with try talking to him.”

Akaashi gently grabbed Bokuto’s head and brought it down to rest on his shoulder while he patted the older one’s head. “Kuroo-san is absolutely right. We will be able to fix this. And make yourself as comfortable as you want in our home and we will all take extra precautions about letting others in. How does that sound Bokuto-san?”

“You two are way too nice to me, how could I not feel safe with you.” Bokuto said as he pushed his head into Akaashi’s shoulder.

Kuroo and Akaashi had both tried calling Konoha multiple times but he wasn’t picking up his phone at all, and they were being sent straight to voicemail now. The three decided to get a good night’s rest and Akaashi promised to talk with Konoha tomorrow at work. Good thing he was scheduled to work tomorrow. Akaashi just hoped he actually showed up.

* * *

Konoha had debated calling in sick for work today but decided against it: He needed to talk to his friends and get everything cleared up. The later it got last night the more he had tried convincing himself he was wrong, so it was now or never. Bokuto wouldn’t be at work today, so he could have the chance to talk to Akaashi alone without Bokuto there to cloud his thoughts and mind. Akaashi arrived after Konoha, and Konoha had already started paperwork. He was nervous to talk to Akaashi so he opted to lock himself in the office and do some work until he could face his friend. Akaashi had tried to talk with Konoha first thing but had been blatantly ignored. Then Akaashi decided it would be easiest to corner him at lunch since they both still had jobs to do. When lunch break came around the two men sat in awkward silence for awhile before Akaashi spoke up.

“I think we need to talk Konoha-san.”

Konoha still wasn’t really ready for this conversation. “Oh, about what Akaashi?” Konoha asked awkwardly.

Akaashi gave his friend a point glare. “You know exactly what I’m talking about so stop avoiding me and talk.”

Geez Akaashi could be blunt.

“Then I'm guessing you both definitely know what he is?”

Akaashi nodded.

“You understand that he is dangerous and could seriously hurt or even kill both of you with ease.” Konoha continued.

“Could, but he won’t.” Akaashi said firmly without the slightest hesitation.

It gave Konoha the chills how much faith Akaashi had in Bokuto. “How do you know that for sure?”

“If he wanted to kill me or Kuroo-san, he could have done it long ago.”

“How do you know he doesn’t have some sort of evil scheme planned that requires him to wait to kill you?”

“Bokuto-san scheme?” Akaashi let out a sarcastic laugh. “You’ve met him, do you really think he would be capable of scheming something?”

“Well no not really he is pretty simple-minded, but it could just be an act. Akaashi I just really don’t want to see you or Kuroo get hurt.”

“Thank you for your concern, but I trust him completely. I know he would never intentionally hurt us. Kuroo-san and I would never have let him stay with us if we hadn’t thought it would be safe.”

“Fine, do what you want, but don’t expect me to be happy about it. And I don’t trust him, so don’t expect me to pretend like I do.”

“That’s fair. All I ask is that you keep this a secret.”

“A secret? From whom? Who in the world could I possibly tell that it would make a difference? But for you I won’t. I’ll keep the secret but if he does anything to hurt you or Kuroo, I’m going to tell anyone who is listening until someone does something about it.”

Akaashi bowed his head slightly in thanks, and they continued the rest of the day at work as per usual. Akaashi still wasn’t certain they could trust Konoha to keep the secret. As much as Akaashi trusted Konoha which he did, he would trust him with his life, but he wasn’t sure he trusted him with Bokuto’s life. And it was Bokuto’s life on the line, if word got out to enough people eventually hunters would hear about it, especially with a group of hunters so near to them. This situation was really dangerous and needed to be handled with care. It was the end of their shift and Akaashi thought he should try one more thing to try and prove to Konoha that Bokuto wasn’t a threat.

“Konoha-san I would like to invite you over for dinner tomorrow night like we used to.”

“Ummm… Akaashi I’m not so sure I feel comfortable with him around.”

“You're going to be working with him you know, and I just thought maybe if you two got the chance to talk…”

“Look Akaashi, at work I will remain professional and it isn’t like we won’t be doing separate jobs. I will probably hardly see him, but at dinner.”

“Sorry, you don’t have to, I just thought you were worried about Kuroo-san and I and would like the chance to observe and make sure he won’t do anything.” Akaashi really needed this dinner to happen so he could prove to Konoha that Bokuto was harmless, so he might have used some slightly underhanded tactics to make Konoha agree.

“Well when you put it like that, I suppose it might be a good idea to check up on the two of you, but don’t expect this to change my mind.”

“Thank you, Konoha-san. I will see you tomorrow night for dinner.”

“Yeah, I guess you will.”

Now that Konoha had agreed to dinner, he just needed to convince Bokuto and Kuroo that it would work. Akaashi had come up with the dinner plan on the spot so he really hadn’t had time to ask his roommates if it would be alright. When Akaashi got home an anxious Bokuto and Kuroo waited to hear any news about Konoha. Akaashi sat down on the couch and the other two joined him.

“So, I talked to Konoha today, and he promised to keep the secret…” Akaashi trailed off trying to find words that would hurt Bokuto less.

“He hates me, doesn’t he?” Bokuto asked with his head drooped forward already convinced that was the case.

“I don’t think he hates you... he is just afraid right now and uncertain how to react.” Akaashi assured Bokuto, although he wasn’t entirely convinced himself.

“Fear almost always turns to anger and hate. I have smelled it happen many times before. I really don’t like those smells they always lead to trouble.”

Kuroo placed his hand on Bokuto’s shoulder. “Come on Bo, where is our cheery optimistic knuckle head?”

“I asked him to come over for dinner tomorrow night, so that we can try and sort things out.”

“You did what? Why would you do that? What if I say something and make it worse? What if he never wants to see the two of you again because I mess up?” Bokuto started panicking at the thought of messing things up more than he already had.

“Bo, calm down. You aren’t going to say anything wrong. It will be fine. And if Konoha is that narrow minded to avoid us altogether then he wasn’t really a friend worth keeping anyways.”

“Bokuto-san this might be your only chance to prove to him that nothing has changed. You may be a werewolf but that doesn’t mean you are a dangerous wild animal that needs to be feared. You're still the same kind-hearted man you’ve always been. It might take some time, but I really believe that you’ll be able to win him over.”

“Thanks Kashi, you’re probably right. I can’t keep running from the things that scare me. I will give it my all and show Konoha how great I am!”

* * *

Bokuto was taking a pan of lasagna out of the oven when there was a knock at the door. He quickly finished setting up the table while Kuroo opened the door. It was Konoha, he had actually shown up for dinner, but Bokuto could tell with one look at him he was tense and nervous. Bokuto could hardly blame the man for feeling that way because he himself felt the same way. Kuroo invited the man on the front porch in and ushered him to sit on the couch in the living room. Akaashi had left the dining table to join Konoha and Kuroo in the living room, and Bokuto remained in the kitchen peeking around the corner every so often. Kuroo and Akaashi had both taken a seat on either side of Konoha, almost to make him feel protected. Bokuto hated the fact that he was what his friends were protecting Konoha from; in his mind he knew that they were only doing it to make Konoha feel more at ease but somewhere deep down it hurt him. It also meant that the only other spot available was the chair, where he would be sitting by himself. He may have talked a big game yesterday about facing his fears, but he was still terrified to speak or even look at Konoha, so he remained in the kitchen where he was safe. Bokuto observed the three men talking on the couch for awhile longer before Kuroo looked over his shoulder and met Bokuto’s gaze. Bokuto immediately ducked back around the corner out of view before Kuroo could gesture for him to join them. After Bokuto ducked back into the kitchen Kuroo tapped Akaashi’s shoulder and motioned with his head towards the kitchen, clearly asking for Akaashi to call Bokuto out of hiding.

“Bokuto-san, would you please come join us.” Akaashi called.

Bokuto hesitantly popped his head back out around the corner before taking a deep breath and slowly making his way toward the living room. Konoha seemed frozen to the spot and it made Bokuto pause. Kuroo looked between the two before gesturing Bokuto over. Bokuto very slowly made his way to the living room and sat down in the chair to right side of the couch where Kuroo sat. Upon seeing Bokuto Konoha’s eyes flashed with a tinge of fear and his scent grew too strong for Bokuto to ignore. Bokuto had been trying not to use his sense of smell. Since Konoha came in scared, Bokuto was afraid of the scents he would find there, but now the fear had grown and Bokuto couldn’t ignore it anymore. As he sat down, Bokuto held his breath and every muscle in his body seemed to tighten ready to run away.

“Would the both of you relax already.” Kuroo said with an exasperated sigh.

“Sorry.” Konoha mumbled.

Bokuto was still unable to form any words because of the tightness in his throat, and when he opened his mouth to reply nothing came out.

“Bokuto-san made us all supper. How about we eat it while it’s hot and talk after.” Akaashi suggested.

Bokuto nodded in response and got up to leave the living room. Akaashi and Kuroo escorted Konoha to the table and had him sit across from Bokuto. Kuroo sat next to Konoha, and Akaashi next to Bokuto. Everyone ate in an awkward silence: Bokuto didn’t dare be the first to speak, Akaashi and Kuroo didn’t really know what to say, and Konoha was too uncomfortable to say anything. Although, Bokuto did take note that all three of the other men were enjoying his cooking, that made him feel a little better and a small unconscious smile made its way onto his serious looking face.

“What are you smiling about?” Konoha asked in a harsh tone while glaring at Bokuto.

Bokuto’s smile faded immediately, and his face fell as he stumbled over his words. “I was just… Ummm… I mean… N-n-nothing. I wasn’t smiling about anything.”

Konoha’s glare sharpened and his voice was practically a snarl. “You were obviously smiling about something! So just tell me what it was!”

Kuroo and Akaashi looked at each other shocked. They weren’t too sure how to respond in this situation. They didn’t like how Konoha was making an already nervous Bokuto wearier and more afraid, but they also knew that if they stepped in to defend him, they could make the situation ten times worse.

“I-I-I I just thought it looked like everyone was enjoying the food… it makes me happy when people enjoy the food I make.” Bokuto’s voice was trembling and barely louder than a whisper.

Bokuto still couldn’t make eye contact with Konoha, his gaze dropped anytime Konoha was about to make eye contact with him. He looked everywhere but at Konoha even as he talked to him, his gaze was in his lap or wandering around the food on the table. Konoha didn’t say anything else while they sat at the table and ate their food. After they finished eating, the dishes were left on the table to be cleaned up later and the four men made their way back to the living room and sat in the same spots as earlier. Bokuto was feeling a lot more nervous now after the few words he exchanged with Konoha while they were eating.

“So, what am I here to talk about?” Konoha asked directing the question directly at Bokuto, who flinched at his sudden words.

“Ummm… well Akaashi and Tetsurou thought that it would be best if we talked and sorted things out.” Bokuto said with as much confidence as he could manage, which wasn’t a lot.

“Sort things out? What is there to sort out? I already promised Akaashi I would keep your dumb secret, so unless you have anything more to say to me, I think I am done here!” Konoha was about to stand up to leave but was held down by Kuroo who had grabbed his wrist.

“Wait a minute just hear him out Konoha. Go on Bo.” Kuroo prompted Bokuto to speak up.

“Well I didn’t mean to scare you that time you came over, I wasn’t exactly expecting anyone, so I’m sorry about that… and you kind of surprised me. Anyways, yes, I’m a werewolf, but no I don’t hurt people, and I promise I won’t do anything bad to you or Akaashi and Kuroo. They have been so kind to me and gave me a place to belong again, and I wouldn’t do anything to ruin that.”

Bokuto’s words gained a soft smile from both Kuroo and Akaashi, but Konoha wasn’t convinced.

“I didn’t want your dumb explanation or excuses, who in their right mind would trust a wild animal like you!” Konoha shouted back.

“Konoha-san, that's enough.” Akaashi warned.

“Then what do you want from me? Please, I’ll do anything to keep living here peacefully. We don’t have to be friends or anything, but we at least have to respect each other and tolerate each other for Akaashi and Kuroo’s sake as well as the animals at the clinic.” Bokuto was trying desperately to fix this but Konoha just seemed to get more and more agitated.

“What do I want from you? Well for starters an apology would be nice, next for you to stay the hell away from _MY_ friends, and don’t **EVER** come near me again! And to talk about respect and tolerating each other, I will never respect a beast nor will I tolerate a dangerous animal running around loose!”

Bokuto shrank in on himself and his face turned dark and hopeless. Akaashi was about to blow a fuse on his friend: how could Konoha say those things when Bokuto was obviously trying really hard? However, Kuroo was the first to speak up.

“What do you mean by an apology? He already said he was sorry for scaring you, what more could he have to apologize for?” Kuroo’s voice was calm but it was stone cold.

“I want him to apologize for being alive!” Konoha shouted loudly.

Everyone in the room was taken aback by his words, even Konoha himself was shocked at his own words. Had he really just said that!? No matter how much he hated someone he had never said anything so horrible to them. No matter how he looked at it Konoha had gone way too far. In all honesty he was still just worried about his friends, scared of the unknown that was Bokuto, and kind of jealous of the relationship Bokuto had with the only two people who had ever really liked Konoha for who he was as a person. Kuroo and Akaashi gasped they couldn’t even believe what had come out of Konoha’s mouth. They were both too stunned to say or do anything. Suddenly everyone’s focus turned to Bokuto to see his reaction. Bokuto had tears streaming down his face but his voice was strangely calm when he spoke, but it sounded almost empty.

“I knew humans could be cruel, but honestly I started to have hope after meeting Tetsu and Akaashi. They were beyond kind to me, even if Tetsurou was afraid of me in the beginning. Not that I can blame him, I mean a wolf can be pretty scary, and I wasn’t exactly the friendliest when I was around him either. But I’m disappointed to find out that it's probably just the two of them who are special enough to accept me. I mean what was I thinking. I can’t stay here, even though I really want to. Was it really too much for me to ask for respect and tolerance? I'm not even asking for acceptance, just tolerance. Why is it that all humans ever see in me is a beast or a wild dangerous animal? Do they not understand that I have feelings and emotions just like them… that I'm capable of human feelings? Just because I’m a little different people think it’s okay to go around torturing and murdering me and others like me. Don’t you think I might have problems too? Don’t you think I might also hate myself, hate what I am? My entire family was slaughtered because of what we are. We didn’t do anything, but everything was taken from us. I hated myself and my life so bad I wanted to die. I would have killed myself if I’d had the strength to do so. But after meeting Akaashi and Tetsu I learned how to appreciate life, something I never want to give up again. So, no matter what you say to me or think of me I will _NEVER EVER_ again apologize for being a werewolf, for being who I am, or for being alive.”

Bokuto got up and left the room, leaving the other three stunned at such powerful words said with such an emptiness. Bokuto hadn’t yelled, his voice had quit shaking, and his bright glorious eyes were dull when he said everything revealing all the pain, he couldn’t contain any more. Despite the tears streaming down his cheeks he showed no signs of crying. It was a hollow and empty bodily reaction that had no emotion behind it. It almost seemed as if he was already dead. Kuroo was the first to speak after Bokuto left.

“I can’t believe I promised him you were a reasonable guy! Do you have any idea how scared and nervous he was about tonight? He desperately wanted to be liked by you but was satisfied if you just tolerated him. I have never been more disappointed in anyone in my entire life! I don’t give a fuck that you are scared anymore! YOU WILL BE APOLOGIZING TO BO!”

Kuroo was furious now and stormed out after Bokuto. Akaashi who had remained surprisingly quiet throughout all this finally spoke up.

“This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have asked you here.”

“Akaashi I-I-I I’m so sorr…” Konoha tried to speak before being cut off.

“If something happens to him because of this I will never forgive you. I will never forgive myself for letting you into our home and lives.” Akaashi started to tear up and finally looked Konoha in the eyes. “I love him! I love him, and I haven’t had the chance to tell him yet! He can’t leave before I’ve told him! I want you out of this house now! **NOW**!!! And please… please. Don’t come back.”

Konoha couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Akaashi was crying, yelling, angry, hurt. He was showing so many emotions for Bokuto’s sake, but it was him who had caused his friends' pain. Konoha got off the couch and muttered a goodbye under his breath as he left. On the drive home Konoha kept replaying the last things Bokuto said to him before walking away. It was clear how much he had suffered at the hands of humans, it was clear how much pain he went through, and it was clear how Bokuto felt. It was all so fucking clear! Konoha had thrown everything out the wind once he found out Bokuto was a werewolf. He hadn’t considered feelings, he hadn’t considered past experiences, he hadn’t considered anything about Bokuto. He hadn’t even considered the words of the people he was trying to protect; the only thing Konoha had truly considered were his thoughts, his feelings, and his emotions on the matter. He had been completely and utterly selfish. Konoha realized his mistake far too late this time. Before he knew it, he had pulled up to Akaashi’s parents’ house instead of his apartment. He had attended many dinners there alongside Akaashi and Kuroo. The three of them were practically inseparable. Konoha had always thought of Akaashi’s parents as his own instead of the shitty ones that he actually had. Konoha knocked on the door and Makoto opened it surprised to see Konoha standing there with tears in his eyes.

“I messed up. I messed up really bad, and I don’t know what to do!” Konoha started sobbing outside the front door.

Makoto hugged him tightly and pulled him inside. She sat him down on the couch and wrapped him in a blanket. She made him some hot tea and sat with him until he calmed down. Once he was calm, she asked him what happened. Konoha went into every detail of what happened over the past few days and described the fight he had with the other three. After finishing his explanation, he panicked remembering he wasn’t supposed to tell anybody about Bokuto. Shit he had screwed up even worse! But Makoto calmed him again telling him that she and her husband already knew about Bokuto.

“This is definitely a tricky situation. You were definitely in the wrong, and what you said could do some serious damage to someone when they're in a fragile state. I hope you do realize that what you said to him could change the way he thinks of all humans from now on. Not only that but with someone who has been in such a fragile state of mind and wanting to kill themselves before this could trigger that feeling again.”

Konoha looked horrified. “What have I done?”

“But as long as he has those two and based off what he said to you, I am sure he will be fine. He's a very strong person. I can tell just by looking at him. He is also very pure and forgiving. He forgave me easily when I pushed him too far and apologized. Now I'm not saying he would or even should forgive you, but if you want a chance it all starts there. The rest will have to be worked out later if it’s possible. As for the other two they are much less forgiving, but they do care for you. Even if they never forgive you, they wouldn’t shut you out completely. Just give them some time, before pushing it too much, but don’t wait too long so they think you don’t care. The only other advice I have for you is be honest and open, and admit you were wrong. By the way you have a shift at work with Bokuto later this week, would you like me to switch it up?”

“No don’t, I need to face him.” Konoha said determinedly.

“It might be a little early for that, just remember to take your time. If he doesn’t want to talk to you don’t push it. And if he asks me for the shift changed, I’m going to give it to him, there's no way I'm forcing him to stay there if he doesn’t want to be.”

“Fair enough. Sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused. And thank you for the advice.” Konoha got up and bowed to Makoto.

“No problem kiddo, I do think of you and Kuroo-kun as my other sons. Good luck! Oh, and nobody’s perfect, we all make mistakes, we are only human after all. But in the future try to be mindful of your words. Words have meaning and they can hurt just as much as actions.”

* * *

Kuroo stood nervously outside Bokuto’s door: he knew he needed to do something for Bokuto but didn’t know what. Normally Bokuto would be super easy to cheer up, but not after this. Kuroo slid down the door and sat outside as if he was waiting for Bokuto to open the door. Kuroo put his head between his knees as thoughts swirled around in his head. How could things have gone this wrong? Tonight was just supposed to be a small reconciliation not a huge mess. Why had he thought it was a good idea to have the two of them talk? Why had he pushed Bokuto to do this? Why had he asked that question knowing damn well what Konoha meant? Maybe because he hoped he was wrong; he hoped his friend couldn’t be that closed minded. But Konoha’s answer was far worse than he had expected; he thought he would say something along the lines of apologizing for being a werewolf not for being alive. That's the kind of attitude that all those hunters that murdered Bokuto’s family had. Kuroo was snapped out of his thoughts when Akaashi appeared with red puffy cheeks, he was clearly crying.

“Kuroo-san, I need to see him, could you please move so I can open the door?”

“Oh, sorry!" Kuroo hesitated before asking: "Can… can I come in with you? I want to see him too. I just… don’t know what to say.”

“Of course, you can.”

Akaashi knocked on the door before opening it, not waiting for a response. Bokuto was in the middle of his huge bed hidden under the covers. Akaashi silently walked over to the left side of the bed and sat down on the edge; he placed his hand on the lump that was Bokuto hoping for a reaction, but nothing happened. Kuroo had stayed by the door still unsure of himself and how to help. When Bokuto still failed to respond Akaashi lifted the covers to find Bokuto surprisingly still in human form curled into a ball. Akaashi laid down next to the white-haired man and pulled the covers back over them. Bokuto hadn’t opened his eyes but he knew exactly who had gotten into the bed next to him. It was Akaashi. He could tell by the familiar calming scent that he loved. Each person had a distinct scent and Akaashi smelled of sweet sage and lavender. He could tell by the warm gentle touch; he could tell by the soft soothing sound of Akaashi’s voice when he had been standing outside the room. Akaashi pressed himself closer to Bokuto, and the man finally responded to his presence. Bokuto moved closer and pushed his head into Akaashi’s stomach, and Akaashi in turn wrapped his arms around the other’s well-built form. Akaashi looked over at Kuroo who was staring awkwardly wondering if he should leave the two alone, but Akaashi patted the bed on the other side of Bokuto. Kuroo approached the bed carefully before getting under the covers and snuggling up close to Bokuto’s broad back muscles. Kuroo knew by looking at him that Bokuto was brawny and strong, but this was the first time he was really feeling the other’s muscles and he was impressed. Bokuto never moved away from Akaashi’s tight hold and never changed positions the whole night. Eventually the three of them all fell asleep together in Bokuto’s bed.

* * *

The next few days were hard for Bokuto, especially when both Kuroo and Akaashi had work. He spent a lot of time in bed, sometimes in the kitchen, out buying groceries, or with whoever didn’t have work watching TV and cuddling on the couch. Physical contact was one thing Bokuto always found super comforting when he was upset, especially if that contact was coming from Akaashi. When Akaashi and Kuroo worked with Konoha they practically ignored him the entire time, no matter how much he apologized and tried to make things right. Eventually Konoha realized he would have to make it right with Bokuto first, if there was any chance of Akaashi and Kuroo forgiving him. So after awhile he left them alone and let them ignore him and went about his day as normally as possible without bothering whoever was working with him.

Bokuto’s first day of work without having Kuroo or Akaashi to train him finally came. However, it was scheduled to be with Konoha. Kuroo and Akaashi insisted Bokuto could change it by asking Makoto, but Bokuto kept telling them that he was fine, that he didn’t want to cause trouble for everyone else, and that he would have to do it eventually so he might as well get used to it. Kuroo and Akaashi were both strongly opposed but there was nothing they could do if Bokuto didn’t want to change his shift. Bokuto knew that today would be hard for him but he wanted to face it as soon as possible so that he didn’t get any more nervous than he already was to be working alone with Konoha. When Bokuto arrived at the clinic Konoha was already there; he was in the office already started on paperwork. Bokuto was slightly relieved that he wouldn’t have to talk to or face the other man right away. Bokuto went to the front desk and set up everything to prepare for customers. As customers came in, Bokuto put on his bright smile and helped everyone who needed to book appointments as well as calling the people who had appointments into the rooms where the vets waited for them. The first half of Bokuto’s day went by very smoothly: he was doing really well remembering everything Kuroo had taught him and was enjoying the conversations he had with the customers.

As soon as Konoha got to the clinic he hid himself in the office to start on paperwork so he would have some time before talking to Bokuto. Konoha was really nervous to talk to the other man, but not because he was scared like before. Now he was nervous because he had really messed up and he wasn’t sure if Bokuto would even talk to him let alone accept his apology. When lunch time came around, Konoha walked into the break room fidgeting nervously with his sweaty hands. Bokuto was already sitting at the table eating his lunch not looking up to acknowledge Konoha’s presence. Konoha sat across from him stiffly, before eating his food. Konoha decided it would be best to eat first and then talk after or maybe he was just putting it off for as long as possible, but either way once they were done eating, he was going to talk to Bokuto. While he ate his food, his eyes kept darting over to look at Bokuto who seemed way too calm after everything Konoha had said to him. Konoha was surprised when Bokuto looked up at him and spoke.

“You seem awfully nervous. You know you don’t have to eat with me if I scare you that much.”

“I’m not scared of you anymore! Just nervous about how you might react to what I’m about to say.”

Bokuto’s eyes widened and his whole body froze. “Please don’t say anything. I already understand how you feel, but I'm not sure I can handle hearing anymore harsh words… so, please just don’t”

Konoha couldn’t meet the other’s gaze because he knew how much pain and hurt, he would find within those golden eyes. “That’s not what I meant. I just wanted to apo…” Konoha’s words were cut off by frantic yelling for help out in the waiting room.

Bokuto and Konoha both rushed out to find a woman carrying a dog in her arms. Her shirt and arms were covered in blood and the dog was lying still and unmoving. Bokuto ran to the woman and took the dog from her arms as she collapsed onto her knees sobbing.

“Go get Makoto and Akio-san!” Bokuto shouted to Konoha before turning his attention back to the woman. “Excuse me ma'am but could you please tell me what happened.”

“My son, he-he opened the door and Sammy dashed out. I-I was too late to grab him. It was a car…he was hit by a car. Please help him! Do you think you can help him?” The woman said through sobs.

“We will try our best. I need to take him to see the vet. Please wait here, and I will be right back.” Bokuto said in his best soothing voice.

Bokuto took the dog and disappeared into one of the back rooms, he was met by Konoha hurriedly dragging Akio and Makoto into the room. Bokuto laid the dog gently on the table and explained what had happened. Akio and Makoto immediately prepared themselves for surgery while Konoha collected and sterilized all the supplies and tools they would need for the surgery. Once they were hard at work Bokuto popped out of the room and returned to the waiting room where the woman was still sitting in the middle of the floor covered in blood. Bokuto walked over to the woman and helped her up to sit in one of the many chairs.

“Don’t worry too much Akio-san and Makoto-san are amazing veterinarians and they will do their best to help Sammy. I’m going to get a wet cloth so you can clean the blood off your arms.” Bokuto said before leaving to fetch a cloth.

When he returned the woman had mostly stopped sobbing now, and her eyes were puffy and red. Bokuto handed her the cloth and she wordlessly took it and wiped down her arms. She tried to scrub some of the blood off her shirt, but it wasn’t working, just smearing it more into the fabric. Bokuto sat beside the woman and talked to her about simple everyday things trying to keep her mind off the dog in the back room. The woman finally started calming down now and was able to converse with Bokuto. They talked until the end of his lunch break when he would normally return to his duties at the front desk, and customers began to start coming in again. Bokuto escorted the lady to the chair closest to him while he stayed at the front desk, and customers began piling in. Bokuto made an announcement that they had received an emergency case and that their appointments would all be pushed back by half an hour, and that if that was a problem they could come to him and reschedule otherwise he thanked them for their patience. When the patients that needed to be rescheduled were finished Bokuto called the people who were booked for later on in the evening to inform them of the situation and then reschedule the appointments if needed. Bokuto continued to talk to the woman sitting beside him waiting for her dog to come back from surgery as often as he could to keep her calm. Finally, Konoha came out of the back room motioning for Bokuto to send the woman in. Bokuto led the woman over to Konoha before returning to the front desk and finishing up some last rearrangements of the schedule. When the lady and Konoha returned Bokuto asked them how everything went.

“They said Sammy will be fine, but he is weak, and they would like to keep him overnight for observations. Thank you so much for everything.” The woman said with a grateful smile.

“Bokuto they are ready for the next patients to be sent in now.” Konoha said.

Bokuto nodded and then waved goodbye to the woman wearing a blood-stained shirt who left relieved that her precious pet would be fine. Bokuto called up the next patients and their owners and directed them to the back rooms. Konoha was also able to return to his job of taking care of the animals who were staying at the clinic for various reasons. At the end of the day everyone was exhausted from having to deal with the emergency on top of a busy day. Makoto and Akio were very impressed with the initiative Bokuto showed by taking care of the panicked woman and rescheduling appointments for the customers who needed it on top of all his normal front desk duties. Makoto and Akio left a little earlier than usual while Bokuto did the cleanup for closing time and Konoha finished off his job of checking on the animals that was delayed because he helped out with the surgery. Once Konoha was done with his job he came out to help Bokuto finish cleanup. All of a sudden, the animals were going crazy and making a ruckus. Konoha immediately went to check out what was causing all the animals to make so much noise.

“Oh, Fuck!” Konoha yelled loud enough for Bokuto to hear him from the waiting room.

“What’s wrong?” Bokuto asked making his way over to the room where the animals stayed. When Bokuto looked inside the animals were all out of their cages scattered everywhere in a panic.

“There is cat that has been staying here that can open the cages so we were told to put a bungee cord on hers so she can’t open it, but I think I might have forgotten to do that. Great what the hell am I going to do now.” Konoha struggled to grab animals and put them back in their cages.

“I think I can help.” Bokuto said stepping into the room.

Bokuto released his relaxing pheromones while remaining in human form, which caused all the animals to quiet down. Some of them started returning to their cages by themselves while Konoha and Bokuto grabbed the others and put them back. When all the animals returned to their cages and calmed down, Konoha made sure to put the bungee cord on the one cat’s cage to prevent a repeat of this mess.

“That was amazing! How did you do that?” Konoha was looking at Bokuto with admiring eyes.

“It-it’s a wolf thing.” Bokuto said quietly looking away from Konoha.

“Oh, that’s right I never got to say what I wanted to at lunch because we were interrupted. Bokuto would you please hear me out?”

Bokuto nodded hesitantly in response.

“I was going to apologize to you about all the things I said at dinner the other night. I admit that I was completely out of line and it was wrong for me to say those things to you. After hearing everything you said to me, I realized that I wasn’t the only one afraid of the situation we found ourselves in and that I acted poorly. I guess what I'm trying to say is I came to realize that you are just as human as anyone else and that I shouldn’t have treated you the way I did. Although I don’t know the details, I also became aware that you were in a really tough spot with me knowing about you.”

“Are you apologizing to me because you came to pity me after hearing some of the things, I said to you?”

“No! No, not at all. I just realized that I was wrong and worrying for nothing. I was worried that you could hurt Kuroo and Akaashi, but if I'm being honest, I was mostly just considering my own thoughts and didn’t consider yours or Kuroo’s and Akaashi’s thoughts and feelings on the matter. They clearly knew they weren’t in any danger but because I was afraid of you, and I never gave you a chance, and I was jealous you were spending so much time with them, I jumped to my own conclusion. Now the only two people I can call my friends are mad at me, and I messed up the opportunity to make a new friend and get to know a really great guy. I truly am sorry. I don’t expect you to forgive me, nor do I expect the others to do so either, but I knew I just had to apologize.”

“I don’t blame you for being afraid of me, Kuroo was also terrified of me when we first met, but I do blame you for your harsh and hurtful words. I haven’t had the best experiences with humans in the past, so I was probably just as scared of you as you were of me when you found out what I was. I wanted nothing more than for you to tolerate my existence, but deep down I was hoping for the acceptance I got from Kuroo and Akaashi. I convinced myself that all it would take was you getting to know me, and maybe I pushed you too far trying to get that acceptance. For that I'm sorry.”

“Bokuto please don’t apologize for that, everyone wants to feel accepted no matter who they are, and I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner.” Konoha replied quickly.

“You know as much as they are mad at you, they still care for you deeply, and I think they're a bit worried about you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, would you like to come over and talk to them?”

“I shouldn’t... Akaashi told me not to ever come back.”

“I’m pretty sure he meant never come back as long as you keep a closed mind. Plus, it’s my house too now so you can come if I invite you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. As hurt as I was by your words, they also made me realize that I do want to continue living and I'm not ashamed to be a werewolf. Also, I was pretty sure you didn’t actually mean the words you said because you smelled like regret and sadness the minute you said them.”

“Wait what? I smelled like regret and sadness?”

“Ah, hahaha. Guess I forgot you don’t already know. Being a werewolf, I do have heightened senses as well as some other extra abilities. As far as my sense of smell goes, I can smell things much better than humans, I can tell specific smells apart, and I can smell strong emotions.”

“Wow that's kind of freaky... but cool at the same time.”

Konoha ended up driving Bokuto home from the clinic and they talked a little bit more. When they arrived at the house Konoha was hesitant to get out of the car but Bokuto practically dragged him to the porch. When Bokuto entered the house, he was immediately wrapped up in a hug by Akaashi and Kuroo. They were obviously worried about him, I mean it was his first shift without a trainer, he was working alone with Konoha, and he had come home later than usual, so they did kind of have the right to be worried.

“How was work? Was Konoha nice to you?” Akaashi asked with his head pressed against Bokuto’s chest muffling his words slightly.

“Why don’t you ask him yourself.” Bokuto said motioning for Konoha who had stopped outside the door to come in.

Kuroo gasped in surprise, and Akaashi released his hold on Bokuto to look over in the direction of the door. Konoha hesitantly stepped inside but remained a safe distance from the others.

“Bo, what is he doing here? Please don’t tell me you forgave him for everything he said!”

“Actually, he never said anything about forgiving me.” Konoha said awkwardly.

“I didn’t? Oh, right I guess I didn’t. Well anyways I forgive him!” Bokuto said cheerfully with a huge smile on his face.

All three heads turned to look at Bokuto in shock, and Konoha’s mouth was gaped open. Akaashi looked back at Konoha with a harsh glare, and Kuroo put on a stern expression. Konoha took a step back so he was a little closer to the door. He could feel the tension in the air, and he knew the other two still hadn’t forgiven him, especially not Akaashi who had the scariest look he had ever seen.

“What? Can’t I forgive someone if they apologize properly?” Bokuto spoke up and all eyes fell on him once again.

“Bokuto-san you can forgive people for apologizing, but you don’t have to, especially in this situation. It was very wrong for Konoha-san to say those things to you.”

“Yeah it was. He admitted that already, and I kind of gave him a lecture about how he hurt me. But I do want to forgive him. I want the four of us to get along and be good friends. I won’t force you two to forgive him if you aren’t ready, but I want you to know that I've already forgiven him.” Bokuto said never losing the smile on his face.

“Well if Bo can forgive him then I can too.” Kuroo said and ran over to hug the blonde who was standing awkwardly by the door ready to leave.

Akaashi walked towards them and Kuroo released Konoha from the hug and turned to face the man approaching them. Akaashi’s face had returned to its neutral expression but his eyes remained cold as he looked upon Konoha.

“I'm not as forgiving as Bokuto-san even less so when it comes to the people I care about. So, I don’t forgive you, but I won’t stop you from trying to change my mind. I will require proof that you won’t hurt him again.” Akaashi said calmly.

“Thanks Kashi, thanks Kuroo. You both are the best. Now I’m starving let’s get some food!” Bokuto shouted regaining everyone's eyes on him.

Kuroo called and ordered delivery for the four of them and they sat in the living room to eat while they watched TV. Akaashi, Bokuto, and Kuroo shared the couch while Konoha sat in the chair. Bokuto was the first to finish his food, and then he blabbered on and on about the crazy day they had. After everyone else finished their food Bokuto spread out across the couch. He laid his head in Akaashi’s lap and spread his feet out across Kuroo. Akaashi ran his long delicate fingers through Bokuto’s two toned hair while the two of them listened to Konoha tell Kuroo about the surgery he helped with that day. Bokuto who was normally never content with staying quiet and listening didn’t say a word because he was enjoying Akaashi’s gentle touch in his hair and on his head. Bokuto pressed his head into Akaashi’s hands when they stopped moving encouraging him to keep playing with his hair. After Konoha finished his story he looked over at Bokuto laying on the couch with his eyes half closed and his head in the younger man’s lap, and he couldn’t help but smile softly. Kuroo however looked over elbowed Akaashi in the side and gave him a taunting smirk. The small smile that had formed on Akaashi’s lips faded and his face showed slight annoyance as he stopped playing with Bokuto’s hair.

“Kashi why’d you stop? That felt really nice.” Bokuto whined.

“Bokuto-san, I think you should get up and go to bed before you fall asleep on me and I can’t move.”

“Awe, look at you acting all shy now.” Kuroo teased.

Bokuto sat up and gave Akaashi a pout. “But I was so comfortable, and I like sleeping with you.”

Akaashi’s face turned bright red. Konoha looked over at Kuroo with a curious stare, he wasn’t sure if Bokuto had meant that the way it sounded, and he was curious why Bokuto would have slept with Akaashi in the first place. Kuroo gave Konoha a devious smile.

“Awe Bo, what about me?” Kuroo asked his devious smirk now directed at Akaashi.

“I like sleeping with both of you!” Bokuto declared.

Now Konoha was completely confused. What the hell was going on between the three of them? Bokuto seemed to be friendly with everyone no matter who it was so his relationship with Kuroo and Akaashi was probably fairly normal for him. Konoha knew Akaashi was in love with Bokuto because he had told him the night, they had supper, and everything turned into a huge mess. And when Konoha had asked Kuroo about his relationship with Bokuto he had just said they were just friends. Konoha decided the only way to get a straight answer would be to ask Bokuto, who would shamelessly tell him the truth no matter the situation.

“Ummm… Bokuto why were you sleeping with Akaashi and Kuroo?”

“Oh, they came into my room after you left the night you were mean. I was hiding under the covers so Akaashi laid beside me to comfort me cause I was upset and then Akaashi told Kuroo to join us since he was just awkwardly standing by the door not sure how to make me feel better. Then we all fell asleep together.”

“Bo, you knew I was standing there the whole time?” Kuroo said is face turning a light pink color.

“I may have been upset, but that doesn’t mean my werewolf senses weren’t working.” Bokuto smirked.

Konoha suddenly felt really bad that he had upset Bokuto to such lengths. “Well it’s getting late I should probably go home.”

“Konoha you could stay here for the night, it’s quite dark and you look really tired.” Kuroo offered.

“Oh no I couldn’t impose, and it isn’t like I would have anywhere to sleep.”

“Don’t worry about that, you can stay in my room with Misty, and I can just sleep with Bo.”

Akaashi shot Kuroo a glare knowing he was still teasing him about earlier. “Konoha-san probably doesn’t want to stay in a room that smells like dog. He can stay in my room and I will sleep on the couch.”

“Kashi there is no need for you to sleep in such an uncomfortable and small place. My bed is huge you can just sleep in my room.”

“That is very kind of you Bokuto-san, but I will be fine on the couch.”

“Alright if you insist.”

Akaashi got changed then grabbed a pillow and a Blanket from his room and went to the couch. Kuroo lent Konoha a change of clothes before heading off to bed. Bokuto left to go to his room and Akaashi and Konoha remained in the living room alone.

“Akaashi I can sleep on the couch and you can have your room back.”

“Don’t be silly. I can’t make the guest sleep on the couch. You can take my room. I will be fine.”

Akaashi curled up on the couch under the blanket and closed his eyes. Konoha made his way to Akaashi’s bed and fell asleep the minute his head hit the pillow. He was far more exhausted than he had realized. Good thing tomorrow was a weekend and he could sleep in. It took awhile before Akaashi could fall asleep on the uncomfortable couch; he should have just accepted Bokuto’s offer but he had found it too embarrassing. Sure, they had slept in the same bed before, but it was always just so Akaashi could comfort an upset Bokuto. And after seeing Konoha’s face when it was mentioned and after Kuroo teased him, Akaashi had been far too embarrassed to accept. Akaashi woke up in the middle of the night annoyed that he couldn’t get comfortable and slightly cold with just a blanket that didn’t completely cover him. Akaashi got up and walked to Bokuto’s room. He was about to knock on the door but paused. He didn’t want to wake Bokuto and he was already embarrassed enough that he was doing this what would the others think when they woke up and Akaashi was in Bokuto’s room. Akaashi was about to turn around and leave when he heard a voice from the other side of the door.

“Kashi is that you?”

Akaashi entered Bokuto’s room closing the door behind him. “How did you know I was here?”

“I heard footsteps and then I smelled your scent closer than it was before.”

“Sorry, did I wake you. I was kind of cold and the couch was uncomfortable.”

“It’s alright, I don’t mind. Come to bed Kashi.”

Bokuto pulled open his comforter and Akaashi walked over to the bed and slipped in beside him facing away from the older man. Bokuto instantly wrapped his arms around Akaashi’s middle and pulled him closer resting his head buried in Akaashi’s beautiful curled black hair.

“What are you doing Bokuto-san?”

“I love your smell. It’s so calming and reassuring.” Bokuto muttered sleepily.

“What do I smell like?” Akaashi asked curiously.

“It is an earthy floral scent with a coolness to it, kind of like lavender and sage.” Bokuto said still half asleep.

“Bokuto-san I’m really happy you forgave Konoha-san, he really is a nice guy when you get to know him. I think the four of us will be good friends.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Bokuto-san?”

“Mmm-hmm?”

“Have you talked to Hinata about the whole werewolf thing yet?”

“Unh-uh.”

“You should do that soon; I think it would be good for you to have someone to talk about things with.”

Bokuto yawned and then tightened his grip on Akaashi and fell asleep; he was exhausted from a long day of work, and then staying up late talking to everyone. Akaashi hadn’t done much all day besides worry about Bokuto so he wasn’t exhausted and for some reason couldn’t fall asleep right away. Instead he laid awake with his eyes closed running his hands along the muscled arms that held him tight. Akaashi was sure he was falling more and more in love with Bokuto everyday, he hadn’t known that he could feel this way about another person. He had always been closed off to things like emotions and feelings, but Bokuto had flooded him with so many from the very start. The feeling was new to Akaashi and maybe even a little scary at first, but he had come to love the way Bokuto made him feel. How he could make him smile and laugh effortlessly. Too bad Akaashi was too scared of losing Bokuto to tell him how he felt. Akaashi didn’t even know if Bokuto liked guys let alone him. Akaashi drifted off to sleep thinking about Bokuto. While Bokuto was asleep be became faintly aware of a strong sweet smell that came from Akaashi. He was pretty sure it was the first time he smelled such a sweet scent. He wasn’t sure what emotion made that smell, but he knew that he liked it.

* * *

Konoha woke up earlier than he normally would have if he had been at home. Since he was very aware that he wasn’t at home and taking up space in someone else’s room, he got up fairly early and went to the living room to join whoever else was awake. The living room was dead silent and Akaashi was gone. His pillow and blanket remained on the couch, but he was nowhere to be seen. There was a faint rustling noise coming from the kitchen, assuming it was Akaashi already awake Konoha made his way to the kitchen to join him. When he peered around the corner, he was met with Bokuto digging around in one of the cupboards.

“What are you looking for?” Konoha asked after waiting a couple moment to see if Bokuto noticed him on his own.

“Ah, Konoha! Good Morning. I thought I would make coffee for when the sleepy heads wake up, but we ran out of coffee filters. I was trying to see if we had any hidden in the cupboards.” Bokuto continued digging around in the cupboards without looking up at the man who was standing at the entrance to the kitchen.

“Need any help preparing breakfast or anything?”

“Ah, found it!” Bokuto shouted accidently slamming his head into the cupboard door in excitement.

“Are you alright Bokuto?”

“Yep all good! I was just going to make coffee and then I was hoping we could all go out for breakfast at the place I used to work so I could say hi to some friends.”

Kuroo opened the door to his room and Misty shot out to greet Konoha and Bokuto smacking everything she passed with her crazy wagging tail. Konoha bent over to give Misty some pats on the back as she pressed into him pushing him slightly off balance. Bokuto rubbed the top of his head and got off the floor to start the coffee machine. Kuroo who was still half asleep and stumbling around like a zombie came out of the room and sat at the kitchen table.

“Where’s my coffee and breakfast?” Kuroo mumbled sleepily.

“Geez dude! That's incredibly rude to expect Bokuto to do everything around here.” Konoha said.

“He doesn’t do everything, just cooking, and cleaning, and walks Misty… ok maybe he does do most of it, but we all do our own laundry!”

Konoha gave Kuroo and astonished look. "I can't believe he lets you get away with that."

“Sorry Tetsu, your coffee will be a minute I had trouble finding the extra filters for the machine, and I was thinking we could all go out for breakfast once everyone is awake.” Bokuto said while placing the coffee pot under the machine and pressed the button to start brewing it.

“But everyone is awake, aren’t they?” Kuroo asked.

“Nah! Kashi’s still sleeping.”

Kuroo looked over at Bokuto confused. “He wasn’t on the couch when I passed by, so I assumed he was up. So then, where is he?”

“Actually, I was wondering the same thing when I got up this morning.” Konoha added.

“Oh, Kashi’s in my room. He slept there last night because the couch was uncomfortable, and he was cold.”

Kuroo was more awake now and a devious grin graced his face. “Suurree, he was.”

Konoha giggled into his hands to prevent a full-blown laugh from escaping him. Bokuto looked over at them and tilted his head slightly to the side with a confused expression.

“What? Did I miss something?” Bokuto asked sincerely.

Konoha looked over at Kuroo. “Oh my god he's clueless isn’t he.”

Kuroo nodded his head. “He sure is. Clueless and stupid.”

“Hey!” Bokuto whined.

“Sorry Bo, but it’s the truth. Sometimes I wonder if your super senses are even working.”

“What do you mean by that?” The voice came from behind Kuroo and Konoha and they turned to look at the one who had spoken.

“Good morning Kashi! They were just teasing me about something, but I don’t really get it so whatever!”

Bokuto pranced away to pour the coffee that had finished brewing into three mugs. One just black the way Akaashi liked it, the other with lots of cream and sugar to make it sweet the way Kuroo liked it, and the third remained untouched. Bokuto brought Kuroo and Akaashi their coffees, and Akaashi sat down at the table across from Kuroo who was sitting next to Konoha.

“Konoha, how do you like your coffee?” Bokuto called from the kitchen.

“With a little cream and sugar please.” Konoha called back.

Bokuto added some cream and sugar to the last mug and stirred it around before bringing it to the table and placing it in front of Konoha. Konoha bowed his head in thanks and Bokuto took his seat next to Akaashi.

“So, breakfast at the café?” Bokuto asked.

“Awe, I was kinda looking forward to your cooking this morning.” Kuroo said with a teasing whine.

“I kind of wanted to see Hinata, Kashi said I should talk to him.”

Akaashi paused at sipping his coffee and the tips of his ears tinged red. “Bokuto-san do you remember our conversation last night?”

“Of course, I do, why wouldn’t I?”

The redness spread across the rest of Akaashi’s face. “Ah, you were tired, and half asleep, I assumed you wouldn’t remember it in the morning. That’s kind of embarrassing.”

“Why would it be embarrassing?” Bokuto asked.

“Well about my smell and the thing about the four of us…” Akaashi couldn’t look Bokuto in the eyes.

“Akaashi what did you say to him that’s got you so flustered?” Kuroo asked intrigued.

“Nothing!” Akaashi snapped.

“Oh, he was just asking me what he smelled like, and then said something about being happy I got along with Konoha and that the four of us would be best friends forever!”

“Bokuto-san, that is not how I said it.” Akaashi said his voice slightly higher in pitch and his blush deepening.

Kuroo and Konoha burst out laughing loudly, and Akaashi shot them both a glare. Konoha shut up immediately not wanting to anger the man in any way since he still hadn't forgiven him, but Kuroo continued his snickering.

“So, what does he smell like then Bo?” Kuroo asked amused by Akaashi’s growing embarrassment.

“Like lavender and sage!” Bokuto declared proudly.

“What about me Bo? What do I smell like?” Kuroo asked through a small giggle.

“Ummm… I think kind of spicy with a fresh sourness. Like… cinnamon and lemons!”

“Ooh do me next!” Konoha insisted.

“Kind of fruity and a tinge of cool freshness. Like cherries and mint.”

“Could we go get breakfast now?” Akaashi asked with a neutral tone trying his best to get his blush under control.

“Wait a minute, you almost never eat in the mornings, what has gotten into you Akaashi?” Kuroo asked mockingly.

“Shut up and go get changed we are leaving in ten minutes!” Akaashi exclaimed slightly harsher and louder than he had meant to.

“Settle down princess, no need to get so worked up.”

Akaashi was about to throw another snappy retort at Kuroo but stopped when he heard Bokuto and Konoha giggling. They both had tears in their eyes, and they were trying their best to hold back, but ended up letting out muffled giggles from behind their hands. Akaashi got up and left for his room to get changed still slightly annoyed with Kuroo. Konoha went to the bathroom and changed back into his clothes from the previous day, and Kuroo went to his room to change. Bokuto, who was already dressed because he had been up for hours before the others, waited patiently on the couch for his friends. The four of them hopped into Konoha’s car and he drove them to the café. Bokuto peeked his head through the window to make sure that Tobio wasn’t working that day to his luck it was just Hinata and Yamaguchi. The four of them entered the café and as soon as Hinata laid eyes on Bokuto he ran over excitedly and jumped to hug Bokuto who caught him with his sturdy arms.

“Bokuto-san!! I missed you, I’m so glad you stopped by today. Follow me I will take you to a nice big table in the back.”

“Thanks, Hinata!”

“Wow they sure are close.” Konoha commented

Akaashi’s face turned to a small hardly noticeable scowl when Konoha looked over at him apprehensively after making his comment. “Yes, they are. Bokuto-san sees Hinata-kun almost like a younger brother.”

Konoha flinched slightly, wow Akaashi was observant. He didn’t think that the ebony-haired man would catch on that Konoha was inferring that Hinata could possibly like Bokuto as more than friends. Konoha still didn’t understand why the two of them weren’t dating already. Akaashi was clearly in love with Bokuto no matter how you looked at it, and Bokuto seemed to like Akaashi, although he did suppose it is possible that was just how Bokuto was, seeing how close he was with his other friends. But even if that was true Akaashi definitely had a chance with Bokuto and Konoha couldn’t help thinking he should take it before someone else did. Konoha had to admit that Bokuto was quite handsome. He was tall, well built with rippling muscles, he had glowing yellow eyes, a bright big smile, and his interestingly colored hair looked very soft. Konoha had always seen Bokuto with his snow-white hair styled up with black showing through at the roots. Before Konoha had assumed he dyed his hair but upon learning he was a werewolf and his wolf form had the same colored coat he realized it was his natural color. The four men were seated at their table and Hinata took their drink orders and returned only minutes later with drinks for everyone and to take their food order. After everyone ordered and got their food the four guys talked and laughed and teased each other as they ate. After Bokuto finished eating he waved over Hinata, who came bounding over like a puppy who had been called by its master.

“Is there anything else I can get you Bokuto-san?” Hinata asked with gleaming eyes.

“When is your next break, I just wanted to talk to you in private for a minute.”

“Alright! I will come get you in about ten minutes.”

“Sounds good!” Bokuto gave Hinata a big smile before returning to the conversation while the rest of his friends finished eating.

Ten minutes later Hinata came bounding over to their table without his apron on. He grabbed Bokuto by the hand and dragged him out the back door, so they were outside behind the building alone.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Hinata asked with a bright smile.

“Please don’t freak out when I tell you this… I know you're a werewolf.”

Hinata’s smile dropped and he backed away a step. “How? I was so careful! My parents told me to make sure no one ever found out just in case I was treated differently for it! How did you find out? Where did I mess up?” Hinata started to panic a little.

“Okay, okay, calm down a second and let me explain. First of all, let me just say that your parents are very smart people and you really shouldn’t let anyone find out. And you didn’t mess up or anything the only reason I knew was because I am one too and I can tell by your scent.”

“Wow! Wait really? This is so cool I have never met another werewolf before!” Hinata exclaimed excitedly.

Bokuto chuckled. “I was waiting for you to notice me, but you never did so I decided to tell you instead. How come you can’t use your werewolf senses? You normally should have been able to recognize that I was a werewolf too.”

“Oh umm… well I'm adopted. My parents know that I'm a werewolf and they don’t mind they love me all the same, but I never knew my biological parents, so nobody ever taught me how to use these senses. When I was younger everything was all so overwhelming that I learned to tune them out because I couldn’t make sense of everything.”

“Oh I see, so you're a born wolf, you just didn’t have anybody to teach you. Well if you ever need anything regarding that I am happy to help!”

“Thanks, Bokuto-san! Do you think you could teach me about werewolves? I mean it is kinda lame that I am one, but I know nothing about them or how to uses any of my abilities or senses. The only thing I can do is turn into a wolf and back again.”

“Sure, I would love to help you out! You could be like my little apprentice!”

“So coooool!!!” Hinata shouted with fascination and admiration filling his voice.

“Oh ya, there was one more thing I wanted to mention to you. Just be careful around Tobio-kun alright.”

“Hunh, why? Tobio is like super nice! I mean he can be bossy and demanding and grumpy, but he's actually really nice.”

“I will explain it more another day, but he might be nice to people, but he isn’t so nice towards werewolves, so just be careful alright.” Bokuto warned.

“I don’t think Tobio would ever be seriously mean to me no matter what, but it isn’t like I was planning on telling him anyways so I will be careful.”

“Okay well you should get back to work and I should get back to my friends. Here's my number, just call me when you aren’t busy and if I’m free we should hangout and I will teach you everything I know!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the ninth chapter:
> 
> \- Konoha went over to drop off Bokuto's phone at his house. When no one answered the door he let himself in to leave the phone there, but was surprised to find Bokuto in his wolf form.  
> \- Konoha and Bokuto both freaked out upon seeing each other. After telling Akaashi and Kuroo about the incident the two assured Bokuto that they would talk to Konoha and handle the situation.  
> \- Akaashi managed to convinced Konoha to come over for dinner hoping he and Bokuto could settle their differences over dinner. He is proved wrong when Konoha says some really mean things to the werewolf. Kuroo and Akaashi become furious with Konoha and kick him out of the house, and find themselves having to comfort Bokuto.  
> \- After realizing his mistakes Konoha seeks comfort and advice from the closest thing to a parental figure he has, which is Akaashi's mother.  
> \- When Bokuto and Konoha end up on shift together at work the latter attempts to apologize but is interrupted by an emergency. After a long tiring day at work Konoha is finally able to apologize, and Bokuto invites him back to the house to talk to his friends. After talking mostly everything is fixed between the four.  
> \- The next day Bokuto visits the café and finally tells Hinata about being a werewolf. He warns Hinata to be careful and offers his own guidance as a more experienced werewolf.


	10. Bokuto's Apprentice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mild Blood  
> This chapter contains mild descriptions of of blood. If you don't want to read this part skip the paragraph that starts out like 'Most of Oikawa's wounds were superficial...' and the paragraph that starts out like 'The next morning Iwaizumi was awake first...'

Bokuto and Akaashi were off work today and trying to decide what to do for the day when Bokuto’s phone started vibrating continuously indicating a text message.

 **From Hinata:** I got the day off! Can we do one of those lessons we talked about?

“Hey Kashi, would it be alright if I invited Hinata over? He has the day off and wanted me to teach him some things about werewolves.”

“That’s fine Bokuto-san. Would it be alright if I learned too? I wouldn’t mind learning a little bit more about you and werewolves in general.”

“Really!? I thought you might find it boring, but if you want, sure! I just have to make sure Hinata is alright with it.”

“You could never be boring Bokuto-san.” Akaashi mumbled under his breath giving the older man a nod.

However, Bokuto still heard him with his sharp hearing and everything. Bokuto’s eyes sparkled and his face lit up with joy: he felt so happy being told that by Akaashi. Bokuto gave Akaashi a wide grin before picking his phone back up to respond to Hinata.

 **To Hinata:** That sounds great! You can come over to my place if you want. One of my roommates is home, but he's cool about the whole werewolf thing. He already knows about me, but if you don’t feel comfortable, we can meet up somewhere else.

 **From Hinata:** That’s fine! I would love to officially meet your friends they seem great!

Bokuto sent Hinata his address and then threw his fist up in the air in victory. Akaashi looked over at Bokuto with a soft smile, he was glad Bokuto was happy. About an hour later there was a knock at the door. Bokuto was in the kitchen getting some lunch ready, so Akaashi opened the door. A little orange-haired bundle of joy with gleaming excitement in his eyes was standing at the door. Akaashi invited him in and called Bokuto out of the kitchen. The white-haired man finished up some last-minute things with the food and put it in the fridge before bounding over to Hinata and Akaashi.

“Hinata! I’m glad you came. This is going to be so much fun!”

“Yeah!” Hinata agreed enthusiastically.

Akaashi cleared his throat to get Bokuto’s attention, and Bokuto looked over at him questioningly. Akaashi sighed, Bokuto could get so overexcited he would forget the simplest of things. Akaashi pointed towards Hinata with his head and Bokuto’s eyes followed him then returned back to Akaashi. Akaashi stared at him a minute before using his hands to show shaking hands. Bokuto’s eyes lit up in realization. Oh right! Of course, he should probably introduce them properly since they had only met a couple times at the café.

“Hinata, this is my roommate and very good friend Akaashi Keiji, and Kashi this is Hinata Shouyou.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Hinata-kun, Bokuto-san talks about you a lot.”

“AH! Nice to meet you Akaashi-san!”

“Alright how about we go to my room!” Bokuto suggested.

The three boys wander out the back door and into Bokuto’s room. Bokuto invited Akaashi and Hinata to sit on his bed and handed them each a drink that he had prepared earlier.

“Why is your room not apart of the house?” Hinata asked curiously.

“Well originally it was just Kashi and our other roommate that lived here. They found me and took care of me when I was hurt and offered me a place to stay, but there were only two rooms in the house, so we turned the old garage into a room.”

“Oh cool! So, what kinds of things were you going to teach me first?”

“Well I was thinking we start with your senses. That should be the easiest. Then I might give you a little background about how werewolves live. Feel free to ask any questions at any time.”

Akaashi remained quiet he was content to watch his overenthusiastic roommate get so excited and serious about teaching this kid. It was kind of endearing: normally there was nothing in the least bit serious about Bokuto except when he got upset. He was loud and all over the place, he was happy, cheerful, and fun to be around. It was kind of nice to know that he could get serious when it mattered without becoming sad or depressed. Although now that Akaashi thought about it Bokuto was a lot more reliable and dependable than you would expect, and once he set his mind to something he was incredibly determined. Bokuto brought out a couple different candles and laid them out on the bed.

“Alright Hinata we are going to start with your sense of smell because it should be the easiest. Alright close your eyes and I want you to focus on what you can smell. Focus on all the different scents around you and tell me what you smell.”

Hinata closed his eyes. “I can smell fresh air… pine trees… paint, and mint…” Hinata took his time describing the smells around him until all of a sudden, he started saying multiple things in quick succession. “Cinnamon, fruit, flowers, coconut, dog, cat, citrus.”

“Okay relax and focus on one thing. Focus on the candle I’m holding directly under your nose. Breath in the scent and let your nose be filled with its scent.”

“It’s cinnamon.” Hinata said opening his eyes.

“Good!” Bokuto praised. “When you start getting overwhelmed with too many smells, just hone in on one that is strongest and think only of it.”

“Wow that’s crazy! Before I used to just tune it all out but right now, I can still smell that cinnamon candle very strongly, but none of the other scents are interfering.”

“That’s very good Hinata, Now I want you to try and shift your focus over to this candle.” Bokuto held up a second candle to Hinata’s nose.

Hinata took a minute to breath in the scent and let it consume him. He focused solely on the new candle leaving the smell of the other one behind him. “That one is mint.”

“Very good! Try the next one.”

“Fruity… slightly citrusy… grapefruit?” Hinata partially guessed.

Bokuto nodded. “Nice! Now I want you to close your eyes and tell me all the things you smell again, but this time, take it one thing at a time. Let your sense of smell linger on each smell separately for awhile, so your nose can start memorizing the things around you. Soon that part will become second nature, and you will be able to pick up on slight changes in the smells.”

Hinata closed his eyes again. This time concentrating on one thing at a time. “The cinnamon candle. The mint candle. The grapefruit candle. A coconut candle. Paint from the walls. Fresh air, and pine trees from outside. Some kind of flower mixed with freshness?”

“Good that one is a little tricky, once your nose starts memorizing more scents you will be able to put specific words for the things you smell. That last thing you were trying to describe was lavender and sage. It's Akaashi’s distinct scent. Each person, animal, and werewolf will have distinct scents along with a vague scent that encompasses a group. Akaashi’s distinct scent is lavender and sage, but all humans have a similar encompassing scent, so do different species of animals, as well as werewolves. Which is how I knew you were a wolf when I met you.”

“Wow that's so cool. I never knew I could have so much information just by using my sense of smell.”

“So, most of the things you smelt were in this room besides the fresh air and pine trees, but I left the window open on purpose for more smells to enter the room. That's a pretty good start. Once you start getting better at this you will be able to expand your range, like you will be able to smell more of the outdoors, the animals out in the forest, the things in the house. From now on I want you to work on this everyday. Instead of tuning out the smells, go about your day as usual taking everything in, if things get too overwhelming bring your senses back by focusing on a single strong scent.”

“Okay! I think I can manage that.”

“You should learn this pretty quickly, after all you are a born wolf. It is much easier to adapt to senses you’ve had all your life than it is to ones you have just recently acquired.”

“A born wolf?” Hinata coked his head.

“A born wolf is someone who comes from parents who are werewolves and is born as a werewolf. There are also bitten wolves, which are people who used to be human but were turned into a werewolf after being bitten by a born wolf. That is if I remember correctly.” Akaashi explained to Hinata.

“Yep you’re right Kashi!”

“Wow, so cool! You know more about werewolves than me. And I am one.” Hinata said astonished but also a little enviously.

“I only know what Bokuto-san has told me. I thought I would join your lesson so I could learn more about him and his kind.” Akaashi said shyly after the praise Hinata had given him. “Anyways that’s probably enough learning for today. Bokuto-san you don’t want your student to be overloaded with things to remember. How about we go eat?”

“Good idea Kashi!”

“Oh! I haven’t had Bokuto-san’s cooking in so long!!! I’m so excited!” Hinata exclaimed.

The three males made their way back into the house; Akaashi and Hinata sat at the table next to one another, while Bokuto went to the fridge to get the food. He placed it in front of the other two and Akaashi dug in immediately while Hinata closed his eyes to concentrate on the smell of the food, trying to figure out what was in the stir fry presented in front of him.

“Mushrooms. Spinach. Peppers. Beef. Onions. Carrots. And some sort of spice.” Hinata said before digging into his food as well.

Bokuto sat down across from Hinata and ate his portion of the food as well. After they had finished eating the three clumped together on the couch. Akaashi on the left where he always sat, Hinata in the middle where Bokuto usually sat, and Bokuto on the right in Kuroo’s spot. Akaashi turned on the TV and put on a random movie. The three of them watched it, commenting every once in awhile about certain scenes or characters. Akaashi found that in a lot of ways Hinata was a lot like Bokuto: very outgoing, curious, excitable, determined, passionate, and very kind. Near the end of the movie Hinata fell asleep and his head slumped onto Akaashi’s shoulder. Akaashi was surprised at first, he wasn’t used to very much contact with others unless it was Bokuto.

“Are you alright Akaashi? Do you want me to move him? He can lean on me instead.”

“No, he’s alright where he is. I wouldn’t want to wake him.” Akaashi responded a little confused at Bokuto’s sudden questions.

“Okay, I just know how uncomfortable you are with others touching you.”

Akaashi’s eyes widened in surprise. So, he noticed. Bokuto was far more observant than everyone gave him credit for. Kuroo, Konoha, and even sometimes Akaashi called Bokuto clueless, but he was far more in tune with how others felt than most of them. He could smell strong emotions, and he was aware of the smallest shifts in body language, because he had needed that to survive, but also because his eyes were far sharper than the average human’s. A shiver ran down Akaashi’s spine. Wait a minute, if Bokuto could smell strong emotions and feelings and was good at reading body language than how come he didn’t notice how Akaashi felt for him. Or perhaps he did notice and just ignored it. The thought of that made Akaashi feel a wave of sadness wash over him, he hoped that wasn’t the case. It really hurt Akaashi to think that Bokuto might be ignoring his feeling for him. Bokuto scooted closer to Hinata who was still sound asleep, and looked over at Akaashi’s face, his light uplifting energy seemed to vanish, and was replaced by a small slightly sad one. Bokuto continued to look at Akaashi searching his face for any indication of what was wrong. When he couldn’t find the answer, he gently picked up Hinata and moved him into Kuroo’s spot and let his head lean against the arm of the couch. Bokuto moved over beside Akaashi and laid his head on his shoulder. This was enough to get Akaashi’s attention back on him, and Akaashi gently rested his head on Bokuto’s. It felt nice having his cheek brush up against Bokuto’s soft fluffy hair, and a soft smile returned to his face. Bokuto was satisfied with himself and gently brushed his hair along Akaashi’s cheek.

* * *

Iwaizumi jolted up in bed at the sound of his phone ringing, while the man beside him rolled over, put a pillow over his face to drown out the ringing and whined about it being too loud. Iwaizumi reached over to the nightstand and grabbed his phone. Who in their right mind would be calling at this time of night? Iwaizumi looked at his phone, and the caller ID indicated it was his boss. Of course, only work would be calling him at such an ungodly hour: they had no sense of waiting until morning to call. They called whenever they had a job for them. Iwaizumi reluctantly picked up the phone trying to get rid of any hint of tiredness in his voice as he replied.

“Yes, Hello, this is Iwaizumi. Alright tomorrow? Yep. Sure…no problem. We will be there… at 10:30. Alright see you tomorrow sir.” Iwaizumi hung up the phone and went back to sleep.

Later, that morning Iwaizumi woke up and got ready for the day. When he came back his partner was still passed out with his pillow over his head. Iwaizumi grabbed the pillow and smacked it back down on the other man’s face. The other man jolted up rubbing the side of his cheek where Iwaizumi had smacked him with the pillow.

“Geez, Iwa-chan! You’re so mean! Why did you do that?”

“We have work Tooru, get up.”

“I don’t wanna” Oikawa whined plopping back down into the bed.

“I don’t care! Get up now Shittykawa! We have to go see the boss!” Iwaizumi yelled angrily.

Oikawa sluggishly crawled out of bed and took his time getting ready. He had a whole morning and night routine that took him forever. When Oikawa was finally out of the bathroom, Iwaizumi hurried him into the van, and they drove to the office to meet their boss. They made it with barely enough time to spare; their boss was waiting for them patiently in his office.

“Good morning you two, I’m glad I could get you on such sort notice. We might have a job for you. There have been reports of an oversized dog wandering around the forest behind a bar on the outskirts of Tokyo. Normally I wouldn’t send some of our best hunters but everyone else is busy on other jobs at the moment. I'm not sure if this is our type of problem or not but there have been multiple sightings of this giant dog. So, please investigate with caution and report back to me with any information. Thank you, you are dismissed. I will send the location of the bar to your phones.”

Iwaizumi and Oikawa shuffled out of the office and within minutes Iwaizumi’s phone dinged with a message from the boss. He opened it up to see the location of the bar. He handed his phone to Oikawa so he could direct him while Iwaizumi drove. They hopped back in their van and went on their way. When they arrived at the bar, they parked the van and suited up into their long-sleeved jackets and pants, and big heavy boots. They were too close to civilization to bring their guns, so they packed their specialized hunting knives, binoculars, smoke bombs, and a couple other items in their belts in case of an emergency. Iwaizumi locked the van before they cautiously proceeded to the forest behind the bar. The bar was closed for the day so hopefully they wouldn’t come across any people, and if they did then those people would be considered suspicious. Oikawa took the lead and Iwaizumi brought up the rear, they moved in sync and with formation, watching each other’s backs at all times. The pair had been searching for awhile now and hadn’t come across anything suspicious or out of place. They hadn’t even found a single footprint or pawprint indicating that no one had been out there for at least a few days. There was a sudden rustling in the bushes a little ways ahead of them. Both men were on their guards as Oikawa signaled them to stop; they waited ready to act if the situation called for it. Suddenly a rabbit darted out of the bushes.

“Awe Iwa-chan, did you see that cute little bunny?” Oikawa asked turning around to look at Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi was about to scold Oikawa for losing focus when suddenly large creature streaked out of the bushes a little further away from where the rabbit had been hiding. It was large, had a slender form, and it was fast. It darted towards them, and Iwaizumi had just enough time to warn Oikawa of the approaching threat. But it wasn’t soon enough. The large animal pounced on Oikawa knocking him over backwards. The animal scratched and clawed and messed around with the man pinned underneath him, until Iwaizumi ran to cover the short distance he was from his partner. Iwaizumi took out his knife and slashed at the animal, the animal jumped back off Oikawa and looked up to meet Iwaizumi’s gaze. It was definitely a wolf alright. The wolf was tall and slender with a reddish-brown coat and menacing red glowing eyes. The wolf didn’t retreat, it just stood and stared at Iwaizumi straight in the eyes. Iwaizumi pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it towards the wolf while simultaneously grabbing Oikawa and tossing him over his shoulder and running in the opposite direction back towards the van. Without their guns the wolf had the upper hand, so Iwaizumi opted for a swift retreat. 

When they got to the van Iwaizumi quickly unlocked it and placed Oikawa down in the back and closed the doors behind them in case the wolf had chased them. Iwaizumi took off Oikawa’s jacket to better see his wounds. He had a few scratches and bruises here and there but the most concerning was on his right bicep. It was bleeding so badly Iwaizumi couldn’t get a good look at the wound. He tried to stop the bleeding but failed. Oikawa was in shock and his eyes flitted open and closed. Iwaizumi tried to get his partner to focus on him to no avail. Iwaizumi did the only thing he could think, since they weren’t allowed to go to hospitals in fear that the public might find out about the government’s dirty little secret. Iwaizumi picked up his phone and called Suga who was good at treating wounds. The phone rang a couple times and all Iwaizumi could think was please pick up, please pick up!

“Iwaizumi, how can I help you?” Suga’s voice could be heard on the other side of the phone.

“Suga, it’s Tooru! We were ambushed and he’s hurt. I can’t stop the bleeding. I-I don’t know what to do! Please help, help me! Tooru’s hurt pretty bad!”

“Okay Iwaizumi calm down and listen to me carefully, wrap a piece of cloth or clothing tightly above the wound to help stop the bleeding.”

“Okay, okay done! Now what?”

“Alright that should hold for a few minutes. Bring him to the café, come through the back doors and I will take you to the basement where I keep all my medical supplies. Make sure no one sees him when you bring him in. Got it?”

“Okay got it.” Iwaizumi said before hanging up the phone.

Iwaizumi leaned over and gave his partner a quick kiss on the forehead and mumbled something inaudible into his ear. He hopped out of the back and got in the driver’s seat. Iwaizumi rushed as fast as he could to the café that luckily wasn’t too far away, but he swore he hit every red light. He was getting impatient and growing more concerned every second. Iwaizumi parked the van around back behind the café and carried Oikawa over his shoulder into the café. Suga met him on the inside of the doors and guided Iwaizumi into the basement that Suga usually kept locked. There was a giant metal table in the middle of the room and a counter with all sorts of medical supplies, a cabinet above that carried all kinds of medicines for different purposes. Iwaizumi placed Oikawa on the table and stepped back to let Suga examine him.

Most of Oikawa’s wounds were superficial and would heal with no problems; the troubling thing was how much blood Oikawa was losing due to the injury on his right bicep. Suga wiped away all the hot red liquid to better see the injury. It wasn’t anything too serious, but he needed to stop the bleeding. Suga untied the cloth wrapped around the arm and raised Oikawa’s arm above his head to slow the bleeding; Suga then placed gauze on the wound and applied direct pressure. When the blood soaked through Suga had Iwaizumi hand him more gauze and continued to apply direct pressure. After about five minutes the bleeding stopped, and Suga proceeded to clean up the area around the wound. Once the wound was cleaned up and the bleeding was stopped, Suga could get a better look at it. Shit! It was a bite. Suga had hoped that it was nothing more than a deep scratch, but luck wasn’t on their side today. Suga grabbed some supplies out of the cupboard to apply to the wound to help avoid any infection.

“Tooru is going to be alright. The wound wasn’t as bad as it looked, it just bled a lot. He did lose a decent amount of blood though so he will probably be a little woozy and tired when he wakes up. When he wakes up, he needs to replenish his fluids so he should drink lots of water. Juice with vitamin C will help with iron absorption, so he should drink some of that as well. Although, I’m sure Tooru already knows all of this himself.” Suga didn’t quite get to finish speaking when Iwaizumi already started approaching his partner.

Iwaizumi’s eyes immediately landed on the wound that was clearly teeth marks. “Suga, you said he would be fine, what is that? Please tell me that isn’t what I think it is.”

“Iwaizumi, you didn’t let me finish, he will be fine and recover from the wound; however, it was a bite. I’m so sorry Iwaizumi, with all the bleeding I thought for sure it would be a deep scratch. I…” Suga was cut off by Iwaizumi.

“You better not be about to tell me what I think you’re going to say! Don’t you dare say it! Don’t you dare say it, Suga! I will not, I refuse! No one will harm him!” Iwaizumi was shouting with a panicked tone to his voice.

“I was only going to say, I promise not to tell anyone.”

Iwaizumi looked over to Suga with surprise. “But the code.”

“Fuck the code! What kind of code tells people to kill themselves or their loved ones just because they were bitten by a wolf?! I'm getting so sick and tired of this god damn code. I don’t want Tooru to die anymore than you do, so fuck the code!”

Iwaizumi was surprised at Suga’s response, since when did he complain about the code. Suga had never said anything and always gone along with whatever Daichi said. He had never once complained about being a hunter or the hunter’s code, but Iwaizumi was relieved. At least this way Oikawa didn’t have to die for something he never even wanted in the first place. Oikawa opened his eyes slowly as it took a minute for them to readjust to the bright light in the room.

“Where am I?” Oikawa asked while looking around trying to make sense of his surroundings.

“Tooru! You’re alright, we are in the basement of Suga’s café. You were hurt and I couldn’t stop the bleeding, so I brought you here. Suga fixed you up and you will be fine, but Tooru… you were bitten.” Iwaizumi said while squeezing his partner’s hand to comfort and reassure him.

“I was what? I-I was bitten? But Iwa-chan I don’t want to die! I have barely started my life, I’m only 23 years old. I still haven’t gone to med school like I wanted, I just pursued this to make my parents happy, to continue on the family business. I never wanted this! I never wanted any of this!” Oikawa was in tears sobbing now.

“Tooru, you aren’t going to die. I won’t let you, I’m sure you will be just fine.” Iwaizumi said with conviction and a firm determination.

“What about the code? Even if you don’t make me, what about Suga?” Oikawa was still crying.

“Babe fuck the code! And Suga has already agreed to keep this a secret nobody else has to know. You will be alright, I promise.”

“Iwaizumi make sure you monitor him closely, I’m not really sure what's going to happen, but I do know that werewolves aren’t mindless killers so I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Suga whispered to Iwaizumi so the other couldn’t hear.

“Thank you Suga, I owe you big time for this.”

Iwaizumi picked Oikawa up and carried him back to the van princess style; he received no complaints from an exhausted Oikawa. They returned to the apartment and Iwaizumi called their boss to make the report. He told him everything except for the part where Oikawa was bitten, he just mentioned he had gotten a deep scratch and that they would be out of commission for a few weeks while Oikawa recovered. His boss thanked him and assured him they will send some hunters to deal with the problem at a later date, when they were back from other assignments.

* * *

There was a loud knock at the door and Bokuto scurried over to answer it. Hinata was standing on the porch with gleaming eyes ready for his next lesson. The day before Hinata had the day off work, but Bokuto was scheduled to be at the clinic so they decided on today for their lesson. Hinata carried a plastic bag in his right hand as he entered the house. Hinata handed Bokuto the bag excitedly.

“I didn’t bake them myself because I suck at baking, but they're my favourite kind! I hope you like them too!”

Bokuto opened the plastic bag to find a container of gingersnap cookies. They definitely weren’t Bokuto’s favourites, but he loved almost all food, especially sweets, so he was pretty sure they would be good. Bokuto gave his thanks to Hinata and led him into the kitchen so Bokuto could put the cookies away for later. Hinata stood at the entrance to the kitchen waiting for Bokuto; he looked very deep in thought. He was using his sense of smell to evaluate his surroundings. 

“Awe Akaashi-san’s not here today.” Hinata said sadly.

“I see you've been practicing what I taught you last time!” Bokuto boasted proudly.

“Yep! I don’t get overwhelmed by all the smells anymore, and I am starting to memorize more smells. Actually, there is a new smell that I don’t quite recognize but it belongs to a human.”

“Oh yeah, that's my other roommate that was at work last time you came over, he is still sleeping in his room though.”

“Hmmm… he smells like the cinnamon candle and lemons. That's a weird mix.”

“Yep you’re right, I will introduce the two of you when he wakes up. For now, let’s head to my room.”

Hinata followed Bokuto out the back door and into the old garage that was now a room. They both sat beside each other on the bed. Bokuto had Hinata close his eyes and tell him all the smells his nose could pick up; Hinata did way better than last time, he was even able to pick up more specific scents as well as some of the fainter ones. Although Hinata's range for being able to pick up a scent was still quite small, and there were some scents he didn’t have names for, but that would all come in time with more practice. After all, Bokuto had a much bigger head start, he had been using his senses practically since he was born.

“Alright next I just want to make sure that your sense of sight is working well because that is the one that you shouldn’t have to train to be good at. Can you see in the dark?”

“Yep, I have no problems navigating around in the dark, but I thought that was just normal?”

“Hahah, nope humans can’t see very well in the dark at all, especially when there's not very much light. Can you see the individual leaves on that tree?” Bokuto asked pointing out the window to a tree about seventy-five feet away.

“Yep, I can see it clearly and in detail.”

“Alright good, now how often do you actually pay attention to the small details you can see around you?”

“Ummmm… almost never, unless I am specifically focusing on something.”

Bokuto chuckled, of course this kid never paid attention to details like that, he has never been in a situation that requires that type of focus and skepticism. Bokuto decided that teaching the kid to smell strong emotions and use his sharp eyes to read a person’s body language with the slightest shift in facial expressions and muscles could wait until later. He had planned on that being the next lesson, but for some reason Bokuto felt a slight envy that the kid couldn't perceive people’s feelings and emotions the way he could. Bokuto decided to let him keep that little bit of innocence awhile longer. The next lesson would focus on hearing since control over sounds was taught in a very similar way to smell.

“Alright then, today we are going to work on your hearing.”

Hinata gave Bokuto a skeptical look. “That’s the one that gives me the most trouble. The sounds are just all so overwhelming, everyday noises become too much to handle, and loud sounds hurt my ears.”

“Learning to control your hearing is a lot like how I taught you to control your sense of smell. Like when you get too overwhelmed by all the smells you focus all your attention on the strongest one to help block the others out temporarily, but instead when sounds and noises start to overwhelm you should focus all your attention on quietest sound you can hear. This helps so it doesn’t hurt your ears, and it takes extreme focus especially if the sound is really quiet. It also helps if the sound you are listening to has a certain rhythm to it.”

“A sound that has rhythm?”

“Yeah! For example, a distant flowing stream, the wind brushing through the trees, people’s footsteps, rain. Those are all kind of natural sounds that have rhythm and they are my favourites to listen to, but if you are ever inside and can’t hear the things outside, you can even use the sound of a leaky pipe, a dog barking, a cat purring, pencil writing on paper. Really you can use anything.”

“Okay I will give it a try!”

Hinata closed his eyes and started to focus his attention to ears, and then the small sounds he could pick up around him. Luckily Bokuto lived on the outskirts of Tokyo and there weren’t a whole lot of people close by which meant there was less noise. Hinata didn’t realize how far he could hear until he picked up on the sound of distant running water somewhere in the forest that he couldn’t see. But the further away he let his hearing go, the more sounds he heard, and the more overwhelming it became.

“If listening to things far away is too much stick to focusing on something closer that is quiet.” Bokuto suggested noticing Hinata was about to get overwhelmed again.

Hinata searched for a sound to focus on and became more and more overwhelmed until his ears landed on the snoring of Bokuto’s roommate who was still asleep in his room. Hinata let out a deep breath and listened intently to the snoring. The kid was starting to understand what Bokuto had meant by finding a sound with rhythm to it; Hinata found himself relaxing every time the man let out a snoring breath, then back to silence for a minute, and then another snoring breath. It was a consistent and stable pattern that made it not only easier to focus on but also more calming. Finally, Hinata opened his eyes and smiled at Bokuto.

“It worked! I was able to focus on a single relaxing sound.”

“Good! Now this one will take you a little longer to get the hang of because sounds can be a lot more sudden than smells, and they can have different intensity levels, such as pitch, volume, and tone. Alright I think you did pretty good today! Just keep practicing that, and before you know it, you will have your senses mastered! Let’s go get something to eat, Tetsu should be waking up soon and he will want some food.”

“Okay!”

Bokuto and Hinata made their way back into the house through the back door and wandered over to the kitchen to make some food. Bokuto let Hinata decide what he wanted to eat, and then the two of them got out the supplies and cooked away. Bokuto showed the little orange-haired kid how to wrap up the sushi properly so the contents wouldn’t fall out. When they were done as if called on cue Kuroo stumbled sleepily out of bed and joined them at the kitchen table.

“Sushi for breakfast?” Kuroo mumbled as he slumped down in a chair next to Hinata not even noticing the younger boy.

“Well actually it's more like lunch time Tetsu, you slept in a lot later than usual. You must have been tired. If you want, I can make you something else to eat.” Bokuto offered.

“You sure are lazy to be sleeping the whole day away, and then waking up expecting Bokuto-san to have breakfast ready for you.” Hinata casually interrupted the older male with some serious bed head.

Kuroo turned to look beside him, just noticing Hinata for the first time. “Who are you little squirt?”

“Hey! Don’t call me little, and I’m not a squirt either!” Hinata shrieked before putting on a pouting face.

“Alright fine, how about tiny shrimp? That seems to suit you better.” Kuroo teased.

Hinata glared at the messy-haired man who was mocking him. Bokuto let out a boisterous laugh that seemed to shake the whole house. The other two couldn’t help but join in; Bokuto’s laughter was infectious, especially when he did it with such a bright charismatic smile on his face.

“This is my other roommate and friend Kuroo Tetsurou, Kuroo this is Hinata Shouyou from the café.” Bokuto managed to say after his laugh subsided.

“I knew I recognized this shrimp from somewhere.” Kuroo cackled. “Anyways, I’ll just eat some of your sushi, no need to go out of your way to prepare something special for me.”

Bokuto traversed the kitchen to the fridge so he could grab Kuroo the remaining sushi and bring out the cookies Hinata brought over. Kuroo waited patiently for Bokuto to return with his food, and bowed his head in gratitude before digging in. Hinata had already finished stuffing his face when Kuroo got his food. Bokuto dragged the little one over to the couch and they sat down to watch some TV with a couple cookies in each hand. They were joined shortly afterwards by Kuroo and Apple Pie who had made an appearance to see Hinata. Hinata got off the couch and sat on the floor so he could pet Misty while they watched the TV. Even Apple Pie who usually avoided strangers made an appearance; he casually strolled over to Bokuto and curled up in his lap purring loudly.

“I didn’t know you guys had a cat!” Hinata blurted.

“Ah, yes. That’s Apple Pie, he doesn’t usually like strangers, but he has loved Bo from day one. I swear that cat loves him more than me, and I’m the one who’s owned him for five years. I'm literally that cat’s least favourite person in this house unless we have guests over.” Kuroo muttered slightly annoyed.

Hinata laughed. “I’m not usually very good with animals so I can’t really say anything, but that’s hilarious that your own cat loves Bokuto-san and Akaashi-san more than you!”

“You better watch it little shrimp!” Kuroo hissed.

* * *

Oikawa remained in bed all day: he was sweating profusely and had a high fever. Iwaizumi sat in a chair next to the bed the whole day. He had placed a cold wet cloth on his boyfriend’s forehead that he changed out every hour or so. Iwaizumi used a second wet cloth to wash Oikawa’s body when the man became drenched in his own sweat. He was starting to get slightly worried, Suga had mentioned to keep a close eye on him because he was unsure of what would happen, but Iwaizumi had always thought the process of changing would be fairly immediate. But nothing changed the rest of the day; although, it was only the day after, so there was still plenty of time for Oikawa to change.

The next day still nothing had changed, Oikawa still had a high fever, and was sweating a lot. Iwaizumi lifted his partner into his arms and carried him to the bathroom where he showered him down with cold water. The shower seemed to help because when Iwaizumi place the other back in bed, he didn’t begin to sweat immediately again. Iwaizumi grabbed one of the cloths he had washed yesterday and got it wet with cold icy water. He rung it out and folded it over Oikawa’s forehead before leaving the apartment to get some food. Oikawa hardly woke up at all yesterday, so today he had to be sure to wake him up to feed him and replenish his fluids. After grabbing what he needed from the convenience store just around the corner from their apartment, Iwaizumi returned to find Oikawa awake.

“Iwa-chan where were you? I woke up and you were gone. I was so scared.” Oikawa said with a trembling voice and tears began to form in his eyes.

Iwaizumi rushed to Oikawa’s side. “You’re alright, I’m here now. I just went to the convenience store to buy you something eat and drink. Here have some of this.” Iwaizumi handed Oikawa some fruit juice and filled his glass of water on the nightstand next to the bed.

“Iwa-chan it hurts.” Oikawa whined.

“What does? Where does it hurt?”

“I don’t know, I’m really sore all over.”

Iwaizumi went to the kitchen and grabbed some pills out of a plastic bag. They were pain meds that Suga had given him just in case. Iwaizumi returned to his boyfriend’s side and handed him the pills and the glass of water from the nightstand. Oikawa swallowed them and laid back down before drifting off to sleep a few minutes later.

The day after that there was still no change in Oikawa’s condition. Iwaizumi was able to get some more fluids and food into him, but his boyfriend was still very weak. His temperature was still quite high, and he hadn’t stopped sweating either. He was sweating so much that Iwaizumi worried that he was losing more fluids than he was gaining. Oikawa took another cold shower to wash off his body and stop the sweating for awhile, but this time the shower was less effective.

The next day the pain medication had stopped working. Oikawa was writhing around in the bed for most of the day in pain. Iwaizumi had given him the pain meds like Suga had told him to, but they weren’t helping anymore. Iwaizumi hated seeing the one he loved in so much pain; he stayed next to him the whole day, holding his boyfriend’s hand when he was in pain, and giving him fluids and food whenever Oikawa felt well enough to eat and drink. The second half of the day Oikawa’s fever had finally broke and he was sweating a lot less, but he seemed to be in even more pain than before.

The day after that Oikawa was so exhausted from being in pain the day before, he slept through the entire day without waking up even once. Iwaizumi began to get really worried now. How much longer was this going to go on for? He couldn't even tell if his boyfriend was in pain anymore because Oikawa was too exhausted to wake up let alone talk. Time passed by slowly and the only thing that let Iwaizumi know his boyfriend was still alive is the rise and fall of the other's chest as he breathed in and out deeply with a little bit more effort than normally would be necessary. Iwaizumi decided that if Oikawa wasn’t better by tomorrow, he was going to call Suga.

The day after that Oikawa woke up next to Iwaizumi and he felt much better. His fever was gone, the pain was gone, he wasn’t sweating anymore, and he wasn’t having weird dreams where he couldn’t tell dream from reality. Oikawa laid in bed and watched Iwaizumi as he slept, he had no idea how many days have passed since he was bitten but Iwaizumi looked very tired from taking care of him. He decided to let the spiky-haired man sleep longer and got up to take a shower and change into some clothes. When he got out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist and another one draped over his shoulder for his hair Iwaizumi was awake and overjoyed to see Oikawa looked just fine.

“I was starting to get worried there for a minute.” Iwaizumi admitted.

“Oh, you know me just as overdramatic as ever.”

“You’ve got that right Shittykawa!” Iwaizumi blurted as he hugged the taller boy tightly.

“Awe, Iwa-chan you actually care.” Oikawa hugged him back.

Iwaizumi pulled away and gave Oikawa a little punch in the arm, and Oikawa whined about it hurting. Oikawa dried his hair thoroughly with the towel he had draped over his shoulders. Just as he was about to get dressed, Oikawa suddenly morphed into a wolf. Iwaizumi looked over at his boyfriend with a shocked expression. Well that was certainly sudden and unexpected. Maybe everything isn’t quite back to normal yet. The wolf Looked around confused, there was way too much stimulation, he could hear people talking from the other apartments around them, his nose was overloaded with all sorts of smells. The effects of over stimulation of the sense were dizzying and he couldn’t quite get his footing. What the hell was happening to him? Was he on all fours on the ground? Oikawa made an unstable leap up onto the bed and hid himself in the covers trying to drown everything out. Five minutes later Oikawa was suddenly back in human form. Iwaizumi was about to approach him to ask if he was alright but backed away again as Oikawa shifted back into a wolf. The rest of the day went on like that; Oikawa shifted back and forth between human and wolf form, and Iwaizumi kept giving him food and water but left some distance between himself and his unstable boyfriend.

The next morning Iwaizumi was awake first, he had slept on the couch last night because Oikawa’s wolf and human forms were still arguing over whose turn it was to appear. Oikawa was in wolf form when he woke up. Iwaizumi tried to approach Oikawa to give him some food, but with all the overwhelming stimulus Oikawa hadn’t even noticed the spiky-haired man approached him. Oikawa scrambled to get away from all the noise, and smells, and dizziness. He was so frantic; he hadn’t even realized that he had scratched Iwaizumi in the process. All of a sudden, the overwhelming smell of blood hit Oikawa’s nose and he looked over at Iwaizumi. His vision was still blurry, but he could make out the sight of the other man gripping his left arm in pain, as red blood trickled down his hand. Oh no! What had he done?! Oikawa’s form changed back to human suddenly.

“Hajime, I-I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to; I can’t concentrate or see properly when I’m in my wolf form. What have I done?!” Oikawa was absolutely horrified with himself.

He ran to the bathroom and locked himself inside to avoid his boyfriend. He really didn't want to hurt him.

Iwaizumi chased after him. “Tooru, it’s fine, it’s just a small scratch. It’s my fault for surprising you. I’m sorry please come out.” Iwaizumi begged.

Oikawa didn’t answer or unlock the door. He remained locked in the bathroom the rest of the day, and Iwaizumi sat with his back against the bathroom door and his head between his knees. He was really worried about leaving Oikawa in there alone, but he also didn’t want to make the situation worse by forcing his way in. Night approached and neither one of them had moved from their spots. Iwaizumi’s scratch was exactly what he had told Oikawa, just tiny, not a big deal, and it had stopped bleeding within minutes. It was nothing serious, so Oikawa had nothing to worry about, but he was afraid he might hurt Iwaizumi worse the next time. Oikawa ended up sleeping in the bathroom and Iwaizumi against the bathroom door.

The next day Oikawa finally came out of the bathroom to find Iwaizumi passed out in front of the bathroom door. Oikawa picked him up and cleaned off the blood from his arm and put him in the bed. He was relieved to see the wound was nothing more than a simple scratch. That day wasn’t any better than the day before. Oikawa was still changing forms at random, although he held each form for longer than before, it was still a problem. They couldn’t possibly go about everyday life when Oikawa could turn into a wolf at any moment.

* * *

Hinata and Bokuto had another lesson scheduled today. Hinata showed up at the house bright and early and Akaashi was the one to let him in. Hinata was ecstatic to see Akaashi; Kuroo wasn’t a bad guy or anything but Hinata got easily annoyed by the messy-haired man’s teasing and jokes. Hinata much preferred spending time with Bokuto and Akaashi. Bokuto bounded over to stand beside Akaashi and greet his student. Together they ushered Hinata over to the living room couch so they could sit down and talk. Today’s lesson was more learning about some important things Bokuto had been putting off rather than practical skills and use of werewolf abilities. After all, Hinata was starting to get a good handle on his senses; he just needed a little more time and practice for it to become almost second nature to use them like it was for Bokuto.

“So how are you doing with your hearing training?” Bokuto asked.

“No bad, I could still use some more time to get used to it though.”

“That’s to be expected, you are doing great so far!” Bokuto praised his little ball of energy.

“Did you hear that Akaashi-san? Bokuto-san said I’m doing great!”

“Yes, good job. Keep up the good work Hinata-kun.” Akaashi said with a soft smile.

“What are we learning today?!” Hinata asked excitedly.

“Well today I thought I should probably tell you about some of the important things you should know about being a werewolf. Do you remember when I told you to be careful around Tobio?”

Hinata nodded in response curious as to where this was going. He remembered Bokuto's warning but didn't take it too seriously because he wasn't given a reason for being cautious.

“Well the reason I told you that was because he belongs to a hunting family. Although, in this case it isn’t just normal hunting. There are families that are brought up and specifically trained to hunt down and kill werewolves. These people are called hunters. Tobio belongs to one of those families. Hunters usually work in groups known as parties so they can work together and kill off huge families of werewolves.”

“I still don’t think Tobio would ever hurt me. He is like one of my best friends.” Hinata stated confidently. 

Bokuto didn’t want to ruin Hinata’s image of Tobio but he also wanted his apprentice to be safe and not get caught by the hunters. He wasn’t sure how to go about saying it though.

“That’s fine Hinata-kun, all Bokuto-san is trying to say, is make sure nobody ever discovers your secret, especially Tobio-kun.” Akaashi chimed in.

Bokuto gave his friend a grateful smile. “Akaashi is right as long as you are careful there shouldn’t be a problem. I just wanted to tell you to be extra careful because there are lots of hunters living around Tokyo.”

“Okay, I can do that.” Hinata said confidently.

“Next, I want to tell you a little bit about how werewolves usually live, since you were pretty much brought up like a human. We often tend to live in secluded villages with a bunch of other werewolves. These groups are called families. Within the families there will always be a leader known as the alpha, the alpha position is passed down through the family to the oldest born child. In the families there are mini families made up of werewolves who are related by blood.”

“I always thought they were called packs… Bokuto-san where is your family?”

Bokuto’s heart rate quickened but he was expecting this question and was prepared to answer it. He gave Akaashi who had tensed up a reassuring smile before replying. “Well actually a pack is something completely different that I will explain another time. As for my family, I'm the only surviving member; my family members were all killed by hunters.”

“Even the alpha?” Hinata questioned sadly.

“Yes, even the alpha. The alpha was actually my mother, and being the first-born when I turned 21, I became the alpha.”

“I’m so sorry Bokuto-san, it must have been hard to lose your entire family like that.”

“It was, actually it still is hard, but I have some pretty important people in my life again. I’m slowly starting to rebuild my family, and this time I will protect them because they have given me a reason to live again.”

Akaashi scooted closer to Bokuto and put his head on a muscular shoulder. Bokuto leaned his head against Akaashi’s and hummed softly. Hinata watched them in awe.

“Can I be a part of your family too?” Hinata asked shyly.

Bokuto’s head popped back up and he looked at Hinata fondly. “Of course, you can! In my eyes you already are. You're someone important to me, that I want to protect. I think of you like a younger brother.”

Hinata’s eyes lit up. “I’ve always wanted a brother before! I have a younger sister named Natsu, but she isn’t a werewolf like me. She is the biological daughter of my parents. They adopted me because my mother thought she couldn't get pregnant, but a couple years later she was pregnant with Natsu. I love her and we get along great, actually my whole family gets along great, but I like having people like you and Akaashi-san to talk with about things that my parents and sister could never understand.”

“That’s great Sho! Make sure to always treasure them, and know you have a place in my family as well.” Bokuto said cheerfully. “There are a couple more things I would like to discuss before we relax and hangout. Besides your heightened senses werewolves have a couple other abilities. You should have better agility, speed, endurance, and stamina than regular people, as well as quick reflexes. Although these things only develop through training in your wolf form. If you do train in wolf form, make sure it's in the forest away from people and be sure to always keep your senses sharp for approaching people. It would be bad if you were seen. Also don’t ever bite a human when you are in wolf form because you will turn them into a werewolf, and that would cause so many problems. Last thing is an ability called scenting…” Bokuto was cut off by Akaashi.

“Bokuto-san allow me to explain this. From what I can remember werewolves have strong scent glands located on either side of their neck under their jaw. If these scent glands are rubbed on another wolf or human, it leaves that wolf’s scent on the other. The scent can mean different things depending on the intention of the one rubbing their scent on the other. It can be used as a way to calm the other down, especially if they are human since and alpha’s pheromones don’t work on humans and if you aren’t an alpha and can’t use pheromones then this is a good method to use. I believe Bokuto-san also mentioned that imprinted pairs do this to each other to let others know they already have a mate.”

“That’s so cool, but what is an imprinted pair, and pheromones?” Hinata asked curiously.

Bokuto let out an awkward giggle, he hadn’t intended on telling Hinata about that yet. “Well Pheromones can only be used by alpha’s so there is no need to explain them to you quite yet, we can save that for another time. As for imprinted pairs I will tell you the details when you are a bit older, but it's basically a bond that forms between you and someone you love.”

“Sorry Bokuto-san, I went a little overboard with the information.” Akaashi apologized.

“Don’t worry about it Kashi. I’m just impressed that you can remember everything so well. You’re super smart!”

Akaashi blushed slightly at the praise he received from Bokuto. Hinata was bouncing around like a ball of energy, so Bokuto suggested the three of them take a break and get out of the house for some exercise. They ended up taking Misty for a nice long walk through a beautiful park. Hinata ran around playing with Misty, while Bokuto and Akaashi walked side by side taking in the beautiful view of the park and watching Hinata. Akaashi could tell that Bokuto really wanted to go fool around with Hinata and Misty, but he was holding himself back so he could walk next to Akaashi. Every once in awhile it wasn’t so bad to calmly appreciate the view around you, even though that usually isn’t Bokuto’s style. However, Bokuto found himself appreciating the view far more than he would have guessed. Akaashi gave him a sweet smile, and Bokuto returned it ten times bigger. Akaashi looked beautiful walking past the pond filled with blooming lotus flowers. His gorgeous forest green eyes looked stunning against the purple and blue of the lavender and hydrangea flowers. It was a nice day to enjoy their walk outside in the humid summer air. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the tenth chapter:
> 
> \- On a couple of his days off work Bokuto ends up teaching Hinata more about being a werewolf. He teaches him simple things like controlling his senses and basic information about werewolves. He also tells Hinata about hunters and to beware of them.  
> \- Iwaizumi and Oikawa get sent out on a mission and they are surprise attacked by a red wolf who injures Oikawa. Iwaizumi ends up taking his boyfriend to Suga to have his wounds treated.  
> \- They discover that Oikawa was bitten; therefore, he will turn into a werewolf himself. Iwaizumi gets them time off work so he can take care of his boyfriend who is an extremely unstable state of transforming at random.


	11. The New Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mild Panic Attack  
> This chapter contains a short scene depicting a small panic attack. the panic attack includes hyperventilating and uncontrollable trembling. If you don't want to read this part then stop reading on the paragraph that starts out like 'Kuroo was about to calm the situation...' and then pick it back up when Bokuto says 'I think I'm alright now Kashi...'. 
> 
> If you do skip this part of the story you can read the notes at the end of this chapter. They will highlight all of the important points covered in this chapter, so you still get all the information needed to understand what is going on.

Iwaizumi had finally had enough of Oikawa switching back and forth between his human and wolf form, so he decided he would call Suga and see if there was anything that could be done. Iwaizumi grabbed his phone while Oikawa was in the shower and called the silver-haired man. Suga asked Iwaizumi to meet him at the café so they could discuss things further in person. Oikawa had just gotten out of the shower; he was about to ask where Iwaizumi was going when he suddenly fell to all fours and took on the form of a wolf. Even though Oikawa had continuously transformed into a wolf for the past few days, he still wasn’t used to the strange feeling of being in a new body, and all the overwhelming stimulus that came with it certainly weren't helping. Iwaizumi gave the wolf a small smile before announcing he was meeting Suga to try and find a solution to their problem. The only word Oikawa manage to catch over the loud obnoxious noises all around him was Suga, so he guessed his boyfriend was probably meeting with Suga to talk about what they should do. The wolf hopped up onto the bed and hid under the covers while Iwaizumi left the apartment. When Iwaizumi arrived at the café it was closed, and the employees were on their lunch break. Iwaizumi knocked on the front doors. Shortly afterwards a little orange-haired kid bounded up to the doors and opened them for him.

“Suga-san said he was expecting a guest, would that be you?”

“Yes, I’m here to meet with Suga.”

“I’m Hinata Shouyou, by the way.” The kid introduced himself as he led Iwaizumi to an office in the back. “This is Suga-san’s office, you can go in. Good luck mister!”

Iwaizumi entered the office and closed the door behind him. Suga looked up from his stack of papers and removed his glasses as Iwaizumi sat down across from him. He looked at Iwaizumi expectantly, waiting for a briefing on the situation. Iwaizumi clenched his fists nervously before interlacing his fingers and placing his elbows on the desk in front of him ready to explain. Suga caught sight of the small scratch on Iwaizumi’s left arm, and his eyes darted from the scratch back up to Iwaizumi’s face, expecting an explanation.

“It’s fine, it's just a tiny scratch. Tooru’s state of mind has been a little unstable and he accidently scratched me while freaking out the other day.”

Suga held his arm out asking Iwaizumi to let him inspect the scratch just in case. Iwaizumi knew better than to argue with Suga, so he placed his arm in Suga’s hand, and the silver-haired man looked it over carefully.

“Yeah, you’re right it’s no big deal. Just remember to keep it clean so it doesn’t get infected and you will be fine.” Suga said releasing his grip on Iwaizumi’s arm.

“Anyways, for the past few days Tooru has been randomly switching between human and wolf form. He says that when he's a wolf, everything is very overwhelming, because he can hear things he normally wouldn’t be able to hear, he can smell thing he normally wouldn’t be able to smell, and he is constantly dizzy trying to make sense of everything. His sense of vision was a little off at first too because had to adjust to the sharper sense of sight, but that seems to have improved. But it has been days now and his hearing and sense of smell isn’t getting any better.”

“My guess is he's overwhelmed with the sudden new abilities that come with being a werewolf. As for the changing forms he probably can’t control it. As far as I know young werewolves spend their early childhood years learning to use their senses properly and to control their shift. Although, they probably have it much easier since they have others around them to teach them and they were born that way, so it wasn’t a sudden adjustment.”

“Alright, then what do we do about it? I don’t know how to control it either, so I can’t teach him.”

“Well actually that’s why I asked you to meet me here… I think I might have a plan.” Suga said a little hesitantly.

He wasn’t sure he really liked the ideas he was about to suggest, but it seemed like the only option. His plan could go horribly wrong for multiple people and it was definitely risky. 

“That’s great what is it?” Iwaizumi asked hopeful.

“You might not like it, but... the logical explanation is to find a werewolf that can teach him.”

“What? Are you crazy? I'm not letting another werewolf anywhere near Tooru.”

“Iwaizumi, I know it sounds strange but think about it. Who better to teach a werewolf to control their abilities than another werewolf? Plus, just so you know not all werewolves are horrible destructive animals, and you better stop thinking that way because whether you like it or not Tooru is now one of them. And another werewolf is kind of our only option. Unless you have a better plan?” Suga’s tone wasn’t harsh but firm so he could get his point across to the stubborn man.

“I know! I know you’re right! You are right. It’s just… so hard to change a lifetime of thinking a certain way in a couple days. But no matter what I still love Tooru, and if another wolf is what it takes to make him better then I’ll do it.”

“Good!”

“But I have no idea where to find another werewolf let alone approach it and ask for help.”

“Well good thing you came to the right place. I happen to know someone perfect for the job, but you have to promise not to kill him, or turn him over to the other hunters. He's just trying to live a peaceful life. And I owe him way too much to be asking for favors.” Suga mumbled that last part under his breath but Iwaizumi still caught it.

The spiky-haired man gave Suga a questioning glance but didn’t ask. “Alright I’ll leave that to you. Thank you very much Suga.”

Iwaizumi took his leave from the office and returned back home waiting to hear any news from Suga. Suga let out a sigh as Iwaizumi left his office. What had he gotten himself into? This was honestly the only thing he could think of, but he wasn’t even sure he could get the other party to agree to it. It wasn’t like Suga could just waltz up to him and call in a favor after everything him and the other hunters put the werewolf through. Suga was determined to ask anyway because he was desperate for help. The silver-haired man asked Hinata to call Bokuto and have him come see him since they were so close. Suga thought the man might be more likely to show up if Hinata was the one asking. The kid looked completely confused as to why Suga wouldn’t just call Bokuto himself but did it any way without argument. Bokuto showed up an hour later at the café and greeted Hinata who was serving some customers. Bokuto himself was greeted by some of the regular customers who said they miss his cooking as he strolled back to Suga’s office.

“So, what am I doing here?” Bokuto asked cautiously, highly aware that this was a strange situation, so he remained on guard.

Suga smiled softly at him. “Well actually I have a favor to ask.”

“Alright let’s hear it.” Bokuto said a little more calmly now that he knew the silver-haired man just wanted to talk.

“I have a friend that was bitten by a werewolf, and they are having troubles getting it under control, I was wondering if you would be willing to teach them how?”

“I would be happy to help! People say I’m a pretty good teacher!” Bokuto boasted without even a second’s delay.

Suga was caught off guard by the other's willingness to help. He decided he better mention who the friend was. He wasn’t going to, but Suga would feel really bad about surprising Bokuto with Oikawa’s identity after he was so willing to help. It would make him feel like he had tricked him into helping; although, that kind of was the plan. But that was when Suga thought it would take a lot of convincing to get Bokuto to agree.

“Alright, but I think I better mention that this friend of mine is a hunter. Actually, he and his partner were among the hunters that were there when we infiltrated your village.” Suga said hesitantly.

There is a long stretch of silence between the two. Suga was surprised to see that Bokuto was actually very carefully considering his options. The silver-haired man was well aware that the best option for Bokuto would be to back out immediately, so he was grateful that the man was even considering the other option. Bokuto’s voice finally broke through the silence.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t put any of my friends’ lives in danger. If anyone were to find out that my friends know about hunters and are living with a werewolf, the government, hunters, and other werewolves could all become a threat to them and myself. I’m very sorry, but I can’t help you.” Bokuto said seriously.

Suga was disappointed by the answer because he really did need the wolf’s help. But he can’t refute Bokuto because the man hadn’t said no purely based off of emotion and fear. He took his time and came up with clear solid reasons why he shouldn’t help them. It also didn't help that Suga didn't really have any reasons why Bokuto should help them. Suga did, however, noticed that not a single one of those reasons had been because they killed his entire pack even though Suga deemed that a good enough reason not to help in the first place.

“Alright I understand, thank you for your time and consideration.” Suga bowed his head.

After Bokuto left Suga grabbed his phone and called Iwaizumi to explained that the other wolf he asked turned him down. Iwaizumi was furious at first, but once he calmed down, he insisted he could convince the wolf otherwise. He asked and begged Suga to let him meet the other wolf and talk face to face. Suga thought it was a bad idea but relented in the end because he knew there was a chance Iwaizumi might be able to sway the other wolf’s decision. They really needed Bokuto, Oikawa really needed Bokuto. Suga agreed to allow Iwaizumi to meet with the wolf on the conditions that Suga was present as an overseer, and that Iwaizumi brought no weapons. Iwaizumi agreed to the terms.

The next day Suga called Bokuto directly this time and asked him to meet at the café. Bokuto hung up the phone frustrated that Suga didn’t take no for an answer. He knew why Suga had asked to meet up, and he also knew that if he didn’t show up, the other man would probably just keep calling and calling. Bokuto decided he would show up for the meeting and tell Suga no for the last time and to stop asking. Akaashi who was also off work today noticed Bokuto’s frustration and asked him what was wrong. Wanting to keep the promise he made to Akaashi about telling the truth and not hiding things, Bokuto explained the situation. Akaashi immediately declared that he was going with him to back up his answer in case Suga got too persistent. Bokuto didn’t argue. It was only Suga after all, and he already knew that Akaashi and Bokuto were friends because he’s seen them all at the café multiple times together. Plus, Bokuto wouldn’t mind having Akaashi there to back him up; He was well aware that he could be a push over when it came to saying no. Later that day, after the café was closed, Bokuto and Akaashi made their way to the café and entered through the back door like Suga had instructed Bokuto to do over the phone. Suga escorted them down to the basement so they could have some privacy to talk despite the building being empty. A few minutes later footsteps could be heard walking down the stairs to the basement and a voice called out.

“Sorry I’m late, didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”

A familiar scent instantly hit Bokuto's nose; he recognized it as one of the hunters that helped slaughter his family. This must be the partner of the guy who was bitten. Bokuto realized that this guy had probably insisted on talking to him and changing his mind. But Bokuto wasn’t sure they thought this through, who would want to be convinced to do someone a favor by somebody who killed your whole family. That air around Bokuto tightened, and he could feel panic starting to set in. As he was surrounded by the familiar scent memories flooded back to him. Akaashi noticed Bokuto’s change in demeanor when the other man walked into the room and became wary of him and highly concerned for his friend.

Iwaizumi’s face dropped the second he laid eyes on the tense Bokuto. “Y-y-you are supposed to be dead! Suga what is going on here? Daichi told me everything that happened after Tooru and I left. So, why is he standing here?”

This sentence was all Akaashi needed to be clued in to how the other man and Bokuto knew each other. He was most likely one of the hunters from back then, which would also explain Bokuto’s strange behaviour after the man entered the room. Akaashi stepped slightly forward in a protective gesture to keep Bokuto from the unexpected guest.

Suga noticed the atmosphere growing more tense. “Okay, everyone please try to calm down. Nobody intends to hurt anybody. We just want to talk.”

Suga’s attempt at settling the others was ineffective, and Iwaizumi was growing angrier by the second. Bokuto was practically terrified out of his mind, and the one Suga recognized as Bokuto’s friend was intent on protecting the man nearly cowering behind him. Suga needed to do something fast before this got out of control and something went wrong. He didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Before he could think of a plan the voice of Bokuto’s friend rang through the room.

“How could you bring him here in this situation? How could you put him through that again?” Akaashi’s voice was harsh and cutting; it was full of accusation aimed directly at Suga.

Suga had to admit he kind of deserved it. He knew this situation would be hard for Bokuto, but he hadn’t counted on Iwaizumi making the whole situation worse by losing his cool. Akaashi grabbed Bokuto by the wrist and dragged him towards the stairs leading out of the basement. Suga was just about to call out for them to wait and hear Iwaizumi out when the stupid, idiot made the whole situation ten times worse. Iwaizumi could be easily agitated by Oikawa’s antics, but he hadn’t been one to lose his temper so easily around others who weren't his boyfriend. Suga should have guessed he would be more on edge when it came to Oikawa’s life being in danger. Shit! Suga had severely miscalculated and tensions were running high. Iwaizumi slammed Akaashi against the wall so he couldn't take Bokuto away. He stood there fuming with Akaashi pinned and growing increasingly angrier. In an instant Bokuto took on his wolf form and yanked Iwaizumi off Akaashi by his shirt. Iwaizumi flew to the ground and stumbled to regain his footing and stand up; Bokuto slowly backed Iwaizumi into a corner on the opposite side of the room from Akaashi. The white wolf was huge, and Iwaizumi could see his muscles rippling under his fur with each slow step he took forward. The wolf had his ears flattened back against his head that was lowered menacingly. His lips were drawn back barring his pointed fangs that could rip flesh apart in an instant. A low growl could be heard echoing through the whole basement. Iwaizumi instantly calmed down and started taking a step back for every one the wolf took forward. Fuck, he really messed up this time, and he was about to pay for it with his life.

“Bokuto, It’s alright. I promise he won’t hurt you or your friend. Bokuto! Bokuto, please! I’m sorry for this mess, just calm down!” Suga’s words were hardly convincing since he himself was full of fear, and the wolf just seemed to ignore him.

Akaashi stepped fearlessly forward placing himself between the aggressive wolf and the dumbass that started this mess. “Bokuto-san I know you don’t want to hurt him, and I know you were only protecting me, but you need to calm down before you do something you'll regret.”

Bokuto’s ears immediately perked forward and his head popped up. The deep throaty growl had ceased, and he was no longer baring his teeth. Akaashi calmly walked over to the other side of the room away from Iwaizumi, and Like a well-trained dog, Bokuto fell into step beside him. The large wolf no longer showing any signs of aggression, halted and stood beside Akaashi facing the other two. Iwaizumi took a couple steps toward Akaashi, and the wolf placed himself between the threat and Akaashi. His bright golden eyes were locked on to Iwaizumi’s movements. The wolf moved himself in accordance to remain between the two at all times. Suga reached out to grab Iwaizumi and stop him from advancing any further. Iwaizumi was stunned and his jaw left his mouth gaping open in surprise.

“How did you make him obey you like that?” Iwaizumi asked.

Akaashi glared at the man across the room and let out a snort of contempt. “Obey me? I simply asked him to calm down and he listened. If he wanted to kill you, you’d be dead, and there isn’t a thing in the world I could do to stop him.”

Forgetting the wolf’s presence for a minute Iwaizumi took another step forward. That step was too close for Bokuto’s comfort, so he warned the spiky-haired man back with a growl. Iwaizumi took the hint and stepped back.

“Could you make him help me?”

Akaashi scoffed. “Make him help you? You still don’t get it do you? How fucking stupid are you? I mean seriously. _NO,_ I can’t make him help you, nor do I want to. I wouldn’t make him do anything he doesn’t want to do even if I could. Why are you so desperate anyway?”

Iwaizumi couldn’t take it anymore, all his anger and fear and surprise disappeared, and he broke down in tears. “My boyfriend is really struggling since he was bitten. He can’t control the shift at all, and his senses are overwhelming him. He can’t even think straight. I just want him to be okay. I just really need your help.” Iwaizumi’s words were dripping with sadness.

Bokuto changed back to human form. A huge blush ran across Suga’s face as he realized the man was on his hands and knees naked. Suga looked around for something to cover him with and ended up throwing him a blanket. Bokuto accepted the blanket with a smile of gratitude and he wrapped it around his waist. Suga couldn’t look away from Bokuto’s toned upper body; he could tell the man was jacked but seeing him without a shirt was on a totally different level. His shoulders were broad and sturdy, his chest was huge and all muscle, and his abs were very well defined. As his eyes wandered over Bokuto’s body they came to notice some scars that were otherwise well hidden by the usual long sleeve shirts he wore. Suga’s blush disappeared and he dropped his gaze in shame: those wounds were all caused by them. The gash on the underside of his left forearm where Daichi had used his knife deep enough so the wolf would be unable to turn back into his human form. Two circle scars about the size of a bullet, one on his left shoulder, the other on the right side of his lower abdomen. The small faded scars around his neck from where the chain had been. Remembering it now Suga couldn’t bare to look at Bokuto. The memory of Tobio using his whip on the wolf’s back causing him to bleed enough that it soaked his snow-white fur and matted it in bloody tangles. Suga still hadn’t seen Bokuto’s back, and he didn’t want to. He felt nauseous as if he would throw up. The sound of Bokuto’s voice cut him out of his thoughts.

“Fine, I’ll do it.”

“Bokuto-san, you don’t have to help them. Especially with everything they’ve done to you.” Akaashi gave both Suga and Iwaizumi a glare.

Suga and Iwaizumi stared at the man with a blanket wrapped around his waist, surprise written all over their faces. Bokuto looked over to Akaashi and gave him a soft smile and a look that told him 'I’ve made up my mind, and I’m doing this'. Akaashi knew better than to argue and he knew exactly why Bokuto had suddenly agreed to help them; He agreed to help them so this balling mess of a man in front of them wouldn't have to lose a loved one. Akaashi still hated the idea of Bokuto helping this arrogant prick who waltzed in here and demanded a favor of the man whom he took everything from. But Akaashi relented and returned Bokuto’s soft smile. He had to admit that Bokuto's overwhelming kindness was one of the many reasons Akaashi loved the idiot.

“Of course, I do have a couple conditions. First you say nothing about me, my friends, or your boyfriend to the other hunters. Second, stay the fuck away from my friends.” Bokuto’s voice went from a cheery happy tone to one that let the others know he was not kidding around and was dead serious.

“That sounds fair to me.” Iwaizumi said getting his tears under control.

“I want to go with you, Bokuto-san.” Akaashi pleaded quietly. 

“Kashi, I don’t want you around an unstable werewolf and hunter. They might hurt you, and then it would turn into a whole mess where I lose my cool again.”

“I don’t care. I don’t trust this asshole. I’m going with you.” Akaashi glanced over at Iwaizumi when he mentioned the asshole.

“I could go, and be the overseer, and make sure they all behave themselves.” Suga offered.

“You are just as untrustworthy. Look what you dragged us into today!” Akaashi spat.

“Kashi, everything will be fine. Suga’s a decent guy, and I do owe him my life you know.”

“Fine, but as soon as the wolf is in a stable frame of mind, I will be accompanying you. That is nonnegotiable.”

Bokuto could tell Akaashi wasn’t budging on this one so he begrudgingly agreed. Man could Akaashi ever be stubborn sometimes, but it made Bokuto happy knowing he cared so much. Bokuto was off work again tomorrow, so they decide to start the lessons as soon as possible. Suga told him to meet him at the café at noon so they could make their way to Iwaizumi and Oikawa’s apartment together.

* * *

“Bokuto I’m really grateful you decided to help us. I’m not sure what we would have done otherwise.” Suga said as the two of them left the café.

“Well I really didn’t want to see someone lose an important person because I know how much that hurts, and you guys didn't really give me much of a choice.”

Suga cringed at Bokuto’s words. How could he possibly say something like that so casually? Bokuto was a total mystery to Suga. As much as his emotions and feelings were displayed on his face for the world to see, Bokuto was so unpredictable. Suga couldn’t follow his thought process at all, but he was grateful for the other’s kindness. Suga still felt incredibly guilty every time he was around the tall muscular man, and he was pretty sure that would never go away. He didn’t really want it to go away though: he didn’t want to be allowed to forget the horrible crimes he and the other hunters had committed. He didn’t want to be let off the hook so easily, and Bokuto had let him off way too easy, even saying things like he owed him his life. Suga may have helped Bokuto out a little bit, but he had hurt him way more than helped. So, Suga took it upon himself to never let himself forget, thus the overwhelming guilt that sometimes made him sick to his stomach.

“I still don’t trust you guys 100%. If they try anything, I won’t hesitate to call this off. And when it comes to my friends, I will protect them with my life! I'm already putting them in enough danger as it is just by being with them. It's only fair that I protect them from any danger I may have brought about.” Bokuto’s calm speech betrayed the glint of fierceness reflected in his golden eyes as he talked about protecting his friends.

It sent shivers down Suga’s spine. He almost felt as if Bokuto had threatened him with just a look. It was very clear to Suga that it would be very bad for everyone if anything happened to the ones Bokuto cared for. After losing everything once, he was probably much more determined to keep the ones he loved safe. Boy did Bokuto’s love run deep. Suga could see it with every word and every action made by the white-haired man. They would certainly be paying the price if anything bad came of this. After regaining his composure Suga replied.

“Of course. We will keep our end of the deal.”

They finally arrived at an apartment complex and climbed the stairs to the second floor. The door they knocked on was at the far end of the hall. The building was small and a little rundown; the rooms appeared small and cozy. It only took a few seconds before the spiky-haired man from yesterday opened the door and invited them in. Bokuto could smell the scent of fear coming from the room even before they had reached the door. It was clear that the person who was bitten was having a seriously hard time coping. Bokuto scanned the room for the wolf and his gaze stopped on the bed as he was met with fear filled soft brown eyes. The wolf wasn’t overly huge, he had a leaner build than Bokuto and his chocolate colored fur matched his large expressive eyes. His coat looked soft and well taken care of, and he was fairly fluffy compared to other wolves Bokuto had know. The wolf’s eyes darted away from Bokuto’s to meet Suga’s. In an instant the wolf was lunging for the silver-haired man who was too stunned to move. Bokuto pulled him out of the way just in time and sighed before changing into his own wolf form. Bokuto had brought an extra set of clothes in case he needed to take on wolf form quickly, but he had really hoped he wouldn’t have to wreck more of his clothes. Bokuto leapt toward the other wolf successfully pinning him on his back. The spiky-haired man who was watching them closely went to step in and stop the white wolf, but luckily Suga held him back. The chocolate wolf writhed around under the much larger and stronger white one. Bokuto kept the smaller wolf pinned beneath him while he began to release calming pheromones. Almost instantly the other wolf responded and quit struggling beneath him. The chocolate wolf began to calm down now, and Bokuto kept releasing his pheromones until the other wolf had changed back to human form. Bokuto stepped off the man beneath him, grabbed his bag in his teeth and carried it to the bathroom. The spiky-haired man ran to his boyfriend’s side and covered him with a blanket. Bokuto strolled back out of the bathroom a minute later, in human form and dressed in different clothes.

“What the hell did you do to him?” The spiky-haired man spat angrily.

“He will be just fine. All I did was use my scent to force him to calm down. Would you rather I let him attack Suga?” Bokuto asked a bit defiantly.

Oikawa began to stir in his boyfriend’s arms. He blinked open his eyes slowly as if he was just waking up from a nap. “Iwa-chan… what’s going on?”

Iwaizumi picked up his boyfriend with ease and disappeared into the bathroom grabbing a change of clothes as he passed by the dresser. The two returned a few minutes later fully clothed and awake. Oikawa looked over at Suga and then to Bokuto; his eyes seemed to be examining every inch of Bokuto searching him for any weaknesses making Bokuto shiver uncomfortably.

“Sorry about that Suga, I don’t know what came over me.” Oikawa said in an annoyingly playful tone.

“Oi, Shittykawa that’s no way to apologize to someone. I’m very sorry for him, I don’t know what he was thinking. He was little all over the place at first but these last few days he has been docile in wolf form, so I assumed he would be fine.” Iwaizumi bowed his head to Suga apologetically.

“Well of course he was going to attack us! He wasn’t thinking at all. His senses have all been overloaded by the sudden peak in performance.” Bokuto said this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Well sorry, we aren’t all werewolf experts.” Iwaizumi spat.

“The only reason he was fine with you was because, your voice and smell are all very familiar to him. You are a comforting presence, so he adapted very quickly to you. We, however, are now a stranger and a slightly less familiar entity intruding on his safe space.” Bokuto ignored Iwaizumi’s harsh comment and continued explaining.

Suga stepped forward. “Well now that everyone is calmer, how about we introduce ourselves, since you guys haven’t been formally introduced.”

Bokuto’s voice rang out loud and clear with such confidence as he introduced himself. “I’m Bokuto Koutarou, and we have technically met before although under very different circumstances. I'm here to help upon the request of Suga and spiky hair over there.”

“Shut up, you arrogant prick!” Iwaizumi yelled before introducing himself. “I’m Iwaizumi Hajime, and don’t get so cocky. I never would have asked for your help if I had any other options.”

Oikawa who had remained mostly silent up until now stepped forward. “I’m pretty sure, you are supposed to be dead. Didn’t Daichi leave you for dead out in the pouring rain? Or at least that's what I heard from Suga.” Oikawa’s tone was chilling and the look in his eyes had changed from fear to hate.

Suga was about to step in and break the tension as the overseer of this visit, but Bokuto beat him to it.

“I’m well aware you hate me, which is why I’m not doing this for you.”

“How would you know if I hated you? You don't even know me. I have no reason to hate you. And if you’re not doing this for me then why are you helping me.” Oikawa’s tone was just as cold and condescending as the first time he spoke up.

Bokuto put on his best cheery smile and used his loud cheery voice. “No need to hide it, I can smell your emotions as clear as day! That goes for the rest of you as well. Suga is overflowing with guilt, and Iwaizumi is pissed off and terrified at the same time. As for why I’m doing this… because Suga asked me for a favor and I kinda owe him, but mainly because of him.” Bokuto pointed to Iwaizumi.

All three men flinched at being called out on their emotional states. Oikawa was taken aback by Bokuto’s sudden change in attitude and what he claimed he could smell. He had to admit Bokuto wasn’t wrong about him hating the other wolf, but he wasn’t sure he believed the whole smelling emotions things. Suga didn’t look like he felt guilty, and Iwaizumi was obviously pissed but to say he was scared was simply a lie. However, Oikawa was proved wrong when his boyfriend spoke up.

“H-How did you know?” Iwaizumi’s voice was a little shaky.

“Like I said before I can smell strong emotions. I could smell the sadness and fear you were trying so hard to hide yesterday. That’s why I ultimately decided to help. You were afraid of losing someone very important to you, and it really pains me to see that type of suffering. I too am terrified of losing everyone who is important to me again. So as long as you abide by the conditions, I have put in place, I will continue to help you.”

Suga was standing in the corner shaking, he had no idea that Bokuto could smell emotions. He thought he was hiding his guilt and shame well enough to not trouble the wolf, but apparently no matter how hard he hid it, it didn’t matter. Because Bokuto already knew. Suga was too stunned to speak up or move, which made him a pretty shitty overseer. Bokuto’s friend from yesterday was right: He couldn’t be trusted to take care of these three. Suga dropped to his knees and tears started to fall. Oikawa was staring at Suga hunched over on the ground. He had never seen the older man distraught or uncomposed. Oikawa returned his gaze to Iwaizumi who also had tears falling from his face. What the hell was going on? A couple words from this stranger and suddenly the two strongest people he knew were sobbing messes on the floor. This really ticked Oikawa off, how dare he make his best friend and boyfriend cry. Bokuto’s smile faded and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Sorry I probably shouldn’t have said all that.”

Iwaizumi got to his feet and wiped away his tears. “No, it’s fine. Thank you for the help.”

Bokuto jumped back a little in surprise: he hadn’t expected either of the two hunters to thank him, especially not Iwaizumi with such sincerity. Suga finally managed to stop crying and get to his feet as well. He walked over to join the others.

“You’re right. I hate myself for the things I did to you! For the things I’ve done in the past. I realize now that I was so so wrong… but I can’t take any of it back. I'm consumed with guilt and shame, and I still don’t have the guts to stand up and tell my family what we are doing is wrong! Because it is wrong, it is so wrong!... Instead I continue to do the things that bring me shame and guilt everyday and I’m not sure I can live with myself for it.”

Iwaizumi and Oikawa glanced over at Suga with surprised concern. Neither of them had any idea that one of their closest friends felt that way about his job. He had always done everything that was asked of him without question. They wondered when he had changed his mind and started seeing things differently. A minute of silence passed before Bokuto drew everyone’s attention back to him when he spoke.

“I have already told you that I forgive you. I don’t condone what you are doing, but I can understand it. You don’t want to lose your family and friends and there is nothing wrong with that. You have come to a realization on your own that what you are doing is wrong, and you are doing whatever you feel you can to change that. That's very admirable of you.” Bokuto said in a soft admiring tone, but his tone suddenly changed when added sharply. “But don’t you _DARE_ say you can’t live with it!” Bokuto’s tone changed back to is original softness. “You have to live. You have to find a way to live with those feelings and you should start thinking about how to forgive yourself because I already have.”

Suga bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from crying again. He jumped forward and wrapped his arms around the much bigger male. Bokuto was surprised at first but then he slowly let his arms fall to his sides and then wrapped them gently around the older but much smaller one. Suga took a few deep breaths before pulling away and putting on a determined face.

“Alright let’s focus on the problem at hand! Oikawa, Iwaizumi please explain the situation to Bokuto.”

Iwaizumi cleared his throat. “Basically, we were out on a scouting mission after receiving multiple reports of a large dog roaming around the forest on the outskirts of the city. While we were wandering around, we were surprise attacked by a wolf. It was so sudden, and we were caught off guard. It tackled Tooru to the ground and in the chaos bit him. I panicked and called Suga, and he helped treat the wound. After he was bitten Tooru couldn’t get out of bed because he was in pain and had a high fever, when that finally went away, he started changing between his two forms at random. So, I called Suga again, and here you are.”

“Okay so basically, I just have to teach him to control the shift and his senses?” Bokuto asked.

“Yep pretty much! That sounds about right.” Suga said.

“Alright well we should definitely start with the shift, so he can stay in human form until he learns to control his senses.”

“Alright so how do you control your shift?” Iwaizumi asked Bokuto.

“Well I'm a born wolf so it's pretty much just instinct for me, but when I want to change, I just picture my wolf form in my head and imagine how it feels to change forms, and then I let the wolf consume me.” Bokuto was having a little bit of difficulty explaining something that was always second nature to him to someone who had no idea what he was talking about.

“Alright I guess I will give it a try.” Oikawa said in an annoyed tone.

Oikawa first focused his mind and cleared it of all thoughts attempting to distract him. When he was in the moment and fully focused, a mental picture of a wolf popped into his mind. He hadn’t even had to conjure it from his imagination it just popped up. He looked over every part of the mental image memorizing it for later use. Then he tried to recall how he felt when shifting into a wolf. He felt alone and afraid, and out of control. He didn’t like the feeling, suddenly his intense focus was broken, and his body was trembling uncontrollably. 

“Focus more on the physical changes you feel when shifting. How does your body feel different from when you are human? Focus on that and try again.” Bokuto advised.

Oikawa nodded and closed his eyes again. His mind quieted down quicker this time, and he brought up his mental image of the wolf. Making sure every detail was just as he pictured it the first time, he remembered how the wolf’s big brown eyes shone and reflected the light, the lean but still sturdy build, the long fluffy tail, the sleek and shiny chocolate brown fur that appeared soft and fluffy. Then Oikawa moved on to remembering how his body felt in wolf form: he was lower to the ground, more stable on all fours, big and powerful, he felt like he could run faster, jump higher, hear better, see clearer and farther. An overwhelming feeling hit him, and he was about to resist it, but then he remembered Bokuto’s words ‘then I let the wolf consume me’. Oikawa relaxed and gave in to the overwhelming power. The next thing he knew when he opened his eyes, he was much lower to the ground and he had to look up at the others. He knew he was in wolf form. Then all at once as if a dam had been opened and water came rushing through, he began losing control of his senses. There was too much information, and he couldn’t make out anything his boyfriend was saying to him as he saw the spiky-haired man kneel down to be eye level with him. Oikawa was about to lose it when he heard a crystal-clear voice ring out cutting through all the other information rushing to his brain. It was Bokuto’s loud cheerful voice filled with excitement. He was telling Oikawa to focus on nothing else but his voice, and his voice alone, that was easy due to the crystal-clear tone he used. Then he was telling Oikawa how to turn back to human form. It was pretty much the same as how he had gotten to his wolf form. Oikawa repeated the steps adjusting it to fit his human form, and suddenly he was back.

“Nice!” Bokuto exclaimed.

“You alright Tooru?” Iwaizumi asked with his hand stretched out to help his boyfriend up.

“What was that? Why was your voice the only thing I could understand clearly? It cut right through all the rush of information.” Oikawa directed the question at Bokuto who smiled at him.

“Alpha perks!”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Oikawa asked bitterly.

“Well basically I released some pheromones into my words while I spoke to you to catch your attention.”

“Phero-…what now?”

“Pheromones, it's basically me releasing my scent with a specific intent. The scent causes all werewolves and other animals to obey the intent I’m sending out. Only alphas are able to use them though.”

“What is an alpha?”

“Oh, right! Sometimes I forget you guys don’t know anything. An alpha is the werewolf that is the leader of their family. They get extra abilities to be able to exercise a certain control over the other members of the family.”

“So, then you were the leader of your pack? You sure didn’t act like it.” Iwaizumi chimed in.

Only after speaking did he realize how insensitive that had been. Here Bokuto was helping the people who killed his family and Iwaizumi just told him he didn't act like a leader. 

“No, not exactly. My mom was the alpha. The status of alpha is passed down within the bloodline to the oldest child of the current alpha. When the oldest child turns 21 or the current alpha dies then the other becomes the alpha. It just so happened that my mom died on my 21st birthday so the status of alpha became mine. But my entire family also died, so I never really got the chance to be their leader. And by the way they weren’t my pack. They were my family, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t get the two confused.”

“I-I’m so sorr…” Iwaizumi was about to apologize for his insensitive comment when he was cut off by his boyfriend.

“What’s the difference between a pack and a family?” Oikawa blurted out.

“Well within a family everyone is closely bonded, they are usually made up of born werewolves who are related by blood and other friends who they are not related to by blood. It is basically a huge family, with mini blood related families within it. There is also a possibility that werewolves who have lost their families come together to form a new family. The important part is that there is a strong bond between the members. A pack, however, is usually made up of one born wolf being the leader and the rest being bitten wolves. Biting a human and turning them into a wolf is forbidden among werewolves and is frowned upon. But the most important part of a pack is that it is ruled by fear and lacks the close bonds between its members.”

“Wow! I never knew that werewolves had so many rules and guidelines for living.” Oikawa said with interest.

“Well of course you wouldn’t. It isn’t like hunters ever take the time to get to know a werewolf, they just kill them on the spot.” Bokuto accidentally blurted out without thinking.

Everyone froze at Bokuto’s words, and Bokuto burst out laughing. He didn't want to cause anymore tension, so he played it off as a joke. Loud and boisterous his laugh echoed through the apartment, and the others just stared at him in shock. When he finally stopped laughing, he looked at the other’s faces with little tears in the corners of his eyes.

“Too far? Haha! Sorry guys, you should have seen your faces, you were all like deer in headlights. Anyways, sorry about that. I think I took that joke a little too far.”

“Anyways, maybe we should get back to Tooru’s lesson?” Suga offered.

Everyone nodded awkwardly including Bokuto. Oikawa tried a couple more shifts before he became too exhausted to concentrate any more.

“It will eventually become easier with more practice, but I don’t think you will be able to come back to human form without me there yet. Although, you should stop shifting at random now that you can do it properly.” Bokuto said.

The four of them wrapped up the lesson for the day and Bokuto and Suga left the apartment. The next two lessons were much like the first. Bokuto just helping Oikawa perfect the shift, until he was able to change back into human form without needing Bokuto’s voice to help him focus.

* * *

Oikawa was finally of stable mind and able to control his transformation whenever he wanted, which meant it was time for Bokuto to keep up part of his end of the deal and allow Akaashi to accompany him to the lessons. Bokuto and Akaashi met up with Suga at the café before making their way over to the hunters' apartment. Bokuto was way more nervous than usual now that he had Akaashi accompanying him. The last time Akaashi was with Iwaizumi, the spiky-haired man had gotten angry and a little aggressive slamming Akaashi to a wall. Bokuto couldn’t help but replay that scene in his mind over and over again, making him even more nervous. Akaashi obviously noticed Bokuto’s nervous fidgety behaviour because he offered the werewolf some encouraging words.

“Bokuto-san, I will be fine. You can protect me from the werewolf if it comes down to that and I’m not afraid of the other guy. You know I’m actually pretty capable of protecting myself. I took plenty of martial arts as a kid and I also took some self defense classes because my overbearing parents insisted.”

Bokuto smiled. “Oh, I know you’re a badass! I mean who jumps in front of a growling wolf in an attempt to protect someone you don’t even like?”

With that the mood had been lightened and Bokuto was laughing loudly, and Akaashi joined him with a light chuckle. Suga watched the two of them interacting and was grateful for Akaashi. He very clearly made Bokuto happy, and that was something the taller man could really use in his life. They arrived at the apartment and Suga knocked on the door. Oikawa was the one to answer it, and he paused when he saw the new addition to the group. He looked the curly ebony-haired man up and down for a minute before putting on smirk.

“Well damn! I think I just found someone prettier than me.”

Akaashi just stared at the man with fluffy chocolate brown hair, his expression deadpanned and unchanging. Oikawa moved aside to let them in and called his boyfriend over. Iwaizumi laid eyes on Akaashi and then his gaze immediately darted over to Bokuto to check for a reaction. Bokuto was a little tenser than usual and he was watching Iwaizumi closely. Iwaizumi guessed he still wasn’t cool with him being around the black-haired man after their little incident last time.

“So, who are you gorgeous?” Oikawa asked with a flirtatious smirk.

Akaashi didn’t acknowledge the question at all, he simply ignored him and kept his gaze hooked on Iwaizumi.

“This is my really good friend and roommate Akaashi Keiji!” Bokuto announced proudly.

“Oh, Aka-chan what a nice name.” Oikawa continued flirting.

“Hey!” Bokuto exclaimed with a pout.

Oikawa was about to tease him when the newcomer spoke up. “Just ignore him Bokuto-san.” Akaashi said looking over to the pouting man.

Oikawa let out a dramatic gasp and pouted attempting to look dejected. Bokuto perked up at Akaashi’s words and he bounded over to stand beside his roommate. Iwaizumi walked up behind Oikawa and placed a hand on his shoulder as warning for him to behave. Oikawa stuck his tongue out at Bokuto and Akaashi as they followed Suga passed the other two. Over the past few lessons Oikawa had come to realize he didn’t really hate Bokuto all that much anymore. It was more than likely he was just acting like his old hunter self, hating Bokuto for just simply being a werewolf. That was no longer a valued reason for hating the man considering Oikawa himself was now a werewolf now. Oikawa came to discover he actually got along quite well with Bokuto, and he enjoyed the man’s over the top personality and cheery attitude. He was even more fun to tease than the majority of Oikawa's other friends. 

“So, Kou-chan what is my lesson for today?”

Bokuto turned to face Oikawa excitedly. “Today we are going to start controlling your sense of smell, so you don’t get overwhelmed while in wolf form.”

“So, the candle lesson?” Akaashi asked.

“Yep!” Bokuto cheered.

All the men sat in a circle on the floor of the small living room area. Bokuto sat beside Oikawa so he could be closer to help him if he needed it. Akaashi sat next to Bokuto, then Suga, and Iwaizumi sat between his boyfriend and Suga.

“Before we start, I should probably introduce everybody! Like I mentioned before this is my friend and roommate Akaashi Keiji. Akaashi, this is Suga, Iwaizumi Hajime, and Oikawa Tooru!”

Akaashi bowed his head in greeting.

“Actually, before we start there is something I want to say as well. Kou-chan, after getting to know you a little better I have realized that you are actually a pretty great person and I enjoy your company. I have come to a couple realizations and I think before we go on, I should probably say I’m really sorry about your family. I realize now that we were wrong about werewolves being mindless monsters that are only out for blood. We didn’t take anything into consideration we just followed our training and did what we were told, but we were blind to what was really going on, and I'm sincerely sorry for that.”

After Oikawa finished speaking Bokuto sent him a nod of appreciation. Oikawa noticed out of the corner of his eye that the newcomer was boldly glaring at him. Oikawa thought to himself that this could be an interesting day due to the newcomer. Akaashi had caught his attention as an interesting person and Oikawa became curious about the relationship between him and Bokuto. Oikawa may enjoy teasing people and be a self-centered conceited jerk sometimes, but he was quite observant. He noticed the small shift in Bokuto’s behaviour at having Akaashi here with him, he also noticed Bokuto had been swiftly and almost unnoticeably herding Akaashi away from Iwaizumi the whole time they had been here. Bokuto’s golden gaze had been watching Iwaizumi much more closely now that Akaashi was by his side, and Oikawa’s curiosity got the best of him and he felt like meddling.

“So, is everyone going to keep me in the dark about what happened between my boyfriend and Aka-chan?”

“As observant as ever I see.” Suga said.

“There’s nothing to tell because nothing happened.” Akaashi stated in an emotionless tone.

Oikawa had to give the guy props for being stoic and composed. He was probably one of the few people Oikawa couldn’t get a read on, and it made him all the more interesting in Oikawa’s eyes. Since he didn’t get anything out of him Oikawa looked over at his boyfriend expectantly. When he didn’t get a response, Oikawa whined and gave Iwaizumi a pouty face. Iwaizumi let out an annoyed sigh.

“Fine, Shittykawa. I may have gotten a little rough with him causing that big white chicken over there to man up and get defensive. But then the situation got a little out of control when a large, aggressive, white wolf started backing me into a corner. I thought I was dead meat for sure, but that crazy idiot went and stood right in front of him and Bokuto back down immediately. Honestly, I’m still convinced he used some form of magic.”

“Iwa-chan no fair! I thought I was the only one you liked to get rough with.” Oikawa whined with a teasing smirk plastered to his face.

Akaashi ignored the two love birds. Ready to get on with the lesson, he looked to Bokuto to let him know to start the lesson. But Bokuto was staring at Oikawa crawling into Iwaizumi’s lap only to be smacked on the top of the head.

“I’m sorry about that, I think I might have lost it a little." Bokuto chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “But please don’t every touch him like that again.” Bokuto’s gaze lost all awkwardness and his tone became deep and serious.

This caught everyone off guard including Akaashi. Everyone was staring into Bokuto’s intense golden eyes. There was a moment of silence and then Bokuto softened his gaze and he gave a huge smile releasing the tension that hung heavy in the air. The others relaxed but were still very aware of how suddenly Bokuto had shifted the mood and then shifted it right back almost as if it had never happened. Oikawa thought that this man could be very dangerous if anything ever happened to his precious little buddy over there. He let the thought slip past him. It was probably just his imagination: there was nothing remotely serious or dangerous about Bokuto. He was a big giant sweetheart with a heart of gold and an overzealous, childish demeanor. Bokuto pulled out a couple candles and placed them on the floor in front of him.

“Alright Tooru, I want you to close your eyes and concentrate your attention on your nose. When you start to smell things, I want you to list them off to me.”

Oikawa closed his eyes and concentrated on his nose. It took him a couple tries before he was able to smell anything. Once he started listing off some smells, Bokuto had him concentrate on each smell individually so he could begin memorising the way they smelt. Oikawa’s nose would never be as good as Bokuto’s because he was a bitten wolf. Oikawa probably wouldn’t be able to smell emotions, or have the same range that Bokuto does, but his sense of smell was still roughly ten thousand times better than a regular human. Oikawa wasn’t as easily overwhelmed by the smells as Bokuto had thought he would be, which meant that his sense of smell was probably a lot weaker in his human form. Bokuto had Oikawa identify each scented candle and then had him shift to wolf form. As soon as he did, it became increasingly harder for Oikawa to focus. Bokuto had him focus on the strongest smell in the room and keep his attention hooked on it until everything else was drowned out. It took Oikawa awhile to gain the amount of focus it required to drown everything else out, but once he did, he was able to do it with ease. Bokuto then had Oikawa switch the scent he was focused on until Oikawa could go from one scent to the next without getting distracted. At the end of the lesson Oikawa was mentally exhausted from the amount of concentration it took him to just simply use his nose to identify smells.

“Keep practicing that a few times every day until you can do it without thinking about it.” Bokuto said before waving goodbye.

“Easier said than done.” Oikawa huffed returning Bokuto’s wave. “Hey Aka-chan, we should get together some time and go out for coffee and just talk. Sort of like a date.” Oikawa’s flirtatious tone returned.

“Heeeey! Tooru you can’t take Kashi on a date. You already have a boyfriend!” Bokuto whined.

“Awe, is Kou-chan jealous?” Oikawa teased.

“N-No! I just don’t like the two of you hanging out without me!” Bokuto stammered.

“Yep, definitely jealous! Aka-chan catch you later.” Oikawa said with a wink as he blew a kiss in Akaashi’s direction.

The ebony-haired male remained unfazed by Oikawa’s flirtatious ways. He had practically ignored the other two men besides sending them a couple glares every once in awhile. But Bokuto on the other hand had been sulking the whole way back to the café because of Oikawa's teasing. Once they left Suga at the café and continued on their way towards home, Akaashi peered over his shoulder at the man trailing behind him. Bokuto had his lips pursed together in a pout, and he was still sulking and dragging his feet. Akaashi let out a sigh and paused before extending his hand out in Bokuto’s direction.

“Bokuto-san.” Akaashi called out.

Bokuto picked up his head to look at the man who had called his name. His bright yellow eyes lit up with delight when he saw Akaashi’s outstretched hand. The white-haired man perked up and with a wide grin he bounded forward until he was able to reach Akaashi’s arm.

“Kashi!” Bokuto called out ecstatically as he reached for the younger man’s hand.

Bokuto took hold of Akaashi’s hand in his own large and much rougher one. Bokuto intertwined his fingers with Akaashi’s longer more delicate ones. Akaashi was able to stroll home with a happy and content Bokuto skipping along at his side.

* * *

The next few lessons Bokuto continued to work on Oikawa’s sense of smell, teaching him how to differentiate the smell of a werewolf and a human. He also taught him about everyone’s unique and individual scent, he even got as far as teaching him how to track someone. After Oikawa got decently good with smell, they move on to hearing. It took Oikawa a lot less time to catch on to controlling his hearing, and he had surprisingly good range for a bitten wolf. Akaashi continued to accompany Bokuto for the remainder of Oikawa’s lessons. Despite Akaashi insisting he can handle everything Suga also continued to accompany them as the overseer of everything. Not that one was really needed anymore; The five of them had been getting along great.

Oikawa, Bokuto, Suga, and Akaashi had been growing increasingly closer; Although, Akaashi still remained stoic and aloof around everyone who wasn’t Bokuto. But the ebony-haired man did stop ignoring the others. Iwaizumi had grown much more relaxed in the group, but he still remained slightly on the outside, still not sure Bokuto had fully accepted him yet. Oikawa continued to flirt with the emotionless Akaashi causing Bokuto to get riled up and then start sulking. Oikawa enjoyed getting a rise out of the over excited idiot that was Bokuto Koutarou, and he was still trying to figure out the mystery that was Akaashi. No matter what he did he couldn’t get a reaction out of the younger man.

Bokuto and Akaashi had also grown much closer since they started going to Oikawa’s lessons together. Akaashi doesn’t show it much when others are around but when it's just him and Bokuto it becomes blatantly clear that they are very close. When Bokuto gets sulky from Oikawa’s teasing Akaashi always cheered him up, and Bokuto constantly tried his best to please the younger man. Trying anything to make him smile or laugh. It felt amazing when Bokuto was the cause of one of Akaashi's rare smiles or even rarer yet a laugh. Bokuto found himself seeking out the younger man’s touch more often as well as his approval. He loved to bask in the lovely scent of lavender and sage that belonged to Akaashi. Bokuto also started noticing that he smells the unfamiliar sweet scent that he has smelled on Akaashi and Oikawa a couple times before more often. Sometimes it was a slight pleasant aroma barely even noticeable and other times it drifted off of Akaashi in thick pungent waves. Bokuto’s nose recognized it as some type of emotion but he couldn’t place a word to it.

One evening after Oikawa’s lesson, Bokuto announced that they should all get together for dinner sometime and hangout. Suga and Oikawa jumped at the opportunity, wasting no time planning on the day. They decided on two nights from now. Suga said he would close the café a little earlier than usual and clean it up so they could have the whole place to themselves. Oikawa was stoked and announced that everyone must bring something to eat and they could all contribute and have a sort of potluck. Bokuto’s eyes brightened at the thought of cooking food for so many people. Bokuto then proceeded to ask if he could invite a couple more people namely Kuroo, Konoha, and Hinata. Oikawa was all for the more the merrier and Suga agreed that more people would make the night feel more complete. Iwaizumi didn’t seem as excited, but he looked upon his boyfriend with a fond smile. Anything to make him happy. For the first time Bokuto smelt that ever so sweet smell coming from Iwaizumi, but he let it slip his mind as he got ready to leave with Suga and Akaashi.

* * *

Suga had let Tobio and Yamaguchi go home early while he finished cleaning up the café. He put a couple tables together in the middle where they could sit and eat. He then proceeded to line up a couple more off to the side, where everyone could put the food they were bringing. When Suga was done with the set up he went to check on the progress of the dessert he promised the others. Suga’s hazelnut brownie tarts were done, and he placed them in the refrigerator to be cooled until everyone finished eating. Just as Suga was getting the plates and utensils out he heard the bell on the café’s front door ring. Suga left the kitchen to greet his friends. As he rounded the corner Suga caught sight of Bokuto accompanied by Akaashi and another slightly taller black-haired male Suga had seen with them in the café before. Each of them carried a container full of food all made by Bokuto. Bokuto loved cooking so much he had offered to cook Akaashi and Kuroo’s contributions to dinner. The two black-haired males who never cooked for themselves agreed, and Bokuto had come up with three dishes and prepared and cooked all day for the evening. Suga guided the three men to place their containers of food on the tables set up to the side. Konoha arrived shortly after them with his dinner contributions in hand. Iwaizumi and Oikawa showed up, coming in right behind Konoha.

Now they were just waiting on Hinata. Bokuto’s phone buzzed suddenly. It was a text from the little orange ball of energy; Something came up last minute and he would be a little late, but it was fine to start without him. Bokuto put his phone away before clearing his throat and speaking up loud and clear to get everyone’s attention. Bokuto belted out words of gratitude for everyone getting together like this. Bokuto was stoked that he finally had all of his friends in the same place; he couldn’t help but feel nervous excitement as he ran over to Kuroo and Konoha so he could take them around and introduce them to the others who already knew each other. Bokuto dragged the two of them over to meet Suga. After brief introductions, he hardly left them enough time to talk to the silver-haired man before dragging them over to meet the others. Bokuto came to a sudden halt in front of Oikawa and Iwaizumi, Kuroo and Konoha following closely behind nearly running into him at the suddenness.

“Bo what the hell? Give us some warning would ya!” Kuroo hissed.

Bokuto greeted Oikawa and Iwaizumi with an even bigger smile than they had ever seen on him, and that was saying something; all Bokuto’s smiles pleasantly took up the entirety of his face. Kuroo and Konoha came to stand next to the sturdier over the top male. Kuroo nudged his elbow into Bokuto’s ribs reminding him that they were still there and needed to be introduced. Bokuto’s eyes lit up even brighter if that was even possible and he turned to his messy-haired friend on the left.

“This is Kuroo. Kuroo this is Oikawa and his boyfriend Iwaizumi.” Bokuto introduced.

“It’s a pleasure to meet ya.” Kuroo said with a smirk while extending his hand the fluffy brown-haired man. 

Oikawa reached out to shake Kuroo’s hand in greeting, but Kuroo grabbed his hand and turned it over palm facing down. With another wider smirk and his eyes darting up to meet the spiky-haired man standing slightly behind Oikawa. Kuroo bent over and placed a soft kiss on Oikawa’s hand. Oikawa grinned back.

“Awe Iwa-chan even he recognizes my beauty and treats me nicely, why can’t you?” Oikawa whined.

Iwaizumi looked about ready to kill both Kuroo and his boyfriend a vein popping on his forehead as he clenched his teeth.

“Tetsu! No flirting with other people’s boyfriends!” Bokuto chided light heartedly.

“Awe you jealous Bo?” Kuroo asked as he threw an arm around his friend’s neck and clung to him playfully. “You know I would never flirt with another man unless it was to piss off their significant other, so there’s no need for you to be jealous. I only have eyes for you.” Kuroo teased.

“Tetsu!” Bokuto flushed slightly as he whined.

“You two seem close.” Oikawa observed.

A small hint of something began to rise in Bokuto’s chest. It caught him too off guard to reply. What was that tingling feeling making him feel slightly nauseous?

“Oh, we are!” Kuroo said pulling Bokuto over to him with his arm that been slung around the other’s broad shoulders.

“Are you two dating?” Iwaizumi chimed in curiously narrowing his eyes at Bokuto.

“That’s what I thought at first too.” Konoha spoke up gaining the others attention.

“So, they aren’t then?” Iwaizumi asked again.

“Nah! We’re just best bros, ain’t that right Bo?” Kuroo said turning to look at his friend.

Kuroo’s face paled when saw Bokuto clutching his shirt near his heart almost breathless.

“Bo, what’s wrong?”

The others also turned their gazes to the usually high-spirited man, who hadn’t said a word. Bokuto felt the nausea increase. He almost felt as if he was going to throw up. His heartbeat increased and he felt a wave of anger and annoyance pass over him. Bokuto didn’t understand why he was feeling this way. He had been having fun a moment ago, and this just came so suddenly.

“I-I don’t know.” Bokuto gasped out. “My chest feels funny, and I feel very agitated all of a sudden.”

Kuroo looked at his friend puzzled for a moment. When Kuroo looked up to scan his surroundings he caught Akaashi’s eyes. His eyes were staring at them with a harsh cold glare. When he noticed that Kuroo had caught him staring he looked away letting his shoulders sag a bit and releasing a tense breath. Almost immediately Bokuto unclenched his hand from his chest and pushed Kuroo's arm off his shoulder. He was still breathing a little heavily but seemed fine now.

“Are you alright Kou-chan?” Oikawa questioned.

“Yeah. I think I’m fine now. Wow, that was weird.” Bokuto shook his head regaining his composure.

Kuroo glanced at Bokuto and then back at Akaashi’s back who was retreating to join Suga. Iwaizumi and Oikawa gazed upon Bokuto with confused and concerned glances for a little before Bokuto insisted he was fine. Kuroo had a thought he wanted to confirm.

“Bokuto, what you were feeling just now, could it perhaps have been jealousy?” Kuroo asked seriously.

Everyone including Bokuto looked at him confused. “Umm… I don’t know. Why do you ask?”

“Can you explain what it felt like?” Kuroo asked still pushing the topic.

“Umm… I guess I felt my chest tighten and then I began to get nauseous, which soon gave way to a slight annoyance and anger.” Bokuto described as best he could what he had felt.

It sounded a lot like jealousy to Kuroo. He had something in mind, but he couldn’t be sure, so he put it on hold in his mind and returned to enjoying the company of the people around him. Kuroo had found someone who liked teasing others just as much as he did, and he took full advantage of the opportunity. He and Oikawa teased each other back and forth without any hesitation, trying to see who could annoy the other the most. Iwaizumi had left his childish boyfriend and his new playmate to join Suga and Akaashi in a more sophisticated conversation. Bokuto sat back and watched Oikawa and Kuroo argue over the stupidest things, but he still wasn’t quite over what had happened earlier. The suddenness of it all concerned Bokuto greatly, and somehow it made him feel like his body was reacting on its own without his consent. It was such a strange feeling; a shiver ran down Bokuto’s spine as he recalled the strong overwhelming feeling attempting to consume him. Bokuto was startled back to reality when a large rough hand was placed on his shoulder. Bokuto turned to see a messy mop of black hair and catlike hazel eyes peering down at him.

“We are going to start eating now. You coming Bo?” Kuroo called removing his hand and walking towards the others already seated around the table.

“Yes!”

Everyone had gathered around the table with plates full of all kinds of delicious foods. The men were all settled into a comfortable silence as they scarfed down tasty food. The nice atmosphere and silence were all cut off by Konoha who spoke up with his mouth still half full of fried rice.

“So how do you guys all know each other?”

The question froze everyone in their tracks creating a tense atmosphere all around them. Oikawa, Iwaizumi, and Suga who were unaware that Konoha knew about Bokuto being a werewolf were all speechless. Bokuto was the first to regain his composure and spoke up.

“I met Suga at the café, and then he introduced me to Iwaizumi and Tooru because Tooru needed some help with a little problem.” Bokuto said awkwardly hoping he was convincing with his half truth.

“Well I mean technically we met before that when the three of us just showed up and stormed your village leaving it a mess.” Oikawa said jokingly.

Iwaizumi quickly smacked his boyfriend on the back of the head hard enough to shut him up.

“Ow! Iwa-chan, I was just trying to lighten the tense mood.”

“Well look what you’ve done now dumbass!” Iwaizumi scolded.

Oikawa looked up at the faces staring across the table at him. Suga looked devastated, and Bokuto had a shocked expression on his face that wasn’t quite enough to cover up the pain hidden behind it. Iwaizumi looked slightly disappointed with his arms crossed harshly. Kuroo shot his eyes over to look at Bokuto with a worried glance, clearly concerned that had brought up some bad memories, which it probably had. Konoha who had asked the question seemed to ponder the answer before his eyes sparked having made a small connection to previous things, he had been told about Bokuto’s past. Oikawa glanced around at all those judging eyes that were placed on him. He immediately regret his decision, he hadn’t been thinking, he honestly just wanted to lighten the mood. The only way he knew how to do that was through jokes and teasing, but this time he had joked about a more sensitive topic causing an even tenser atmosphere. Oikawa took one last glance around the table his gaze resting on a completely neutral face. Once again Oikawa could not read Akaashi to save his life. That only made it more surprising when the man's eyes darkened and his whole mood shifted. Oikawa felt a shiver run down his spine as those eyes locked on to him with a cold harsh, and unrelenting glare.

“What the fuck! Why the fuck would you bring that up? Hunh? Are you seriously that stupid? How else did you expect everyone to react!”

Suga, Iwaizumi, and Oikawa were all taken aback at the sudden fuming outburst. All three of them had known Akaashi to be a very reserved person whose facial expressions rarely changed. None of them had ever seen him angry. Konoha had only just recently come to learn that Akaashi could be more expressive around Bokuto, but this was still a bit of a surprise for him; the only other time he had seen Akaashi mad was went he yelled at Konoha for upsetting Bokuto. The only one not surprised by Akaashi’s outburst was Kuroo who had been there to witness many firsts from Akaashi because of Bokuto. This reminded him of the time Akaashi had snapped on his parents for pushing Bokuto too far for information, and the many times he snapped at Kuroo for making stupid assumptions.

Kuroo was about to calm the situation when he remembered something very important, he had put on hold. Kuroo’s eyes darted over to Bokuto a second before he had everyone’s attention. Bokuto had fallen out of his chair onto the floor, gasping desperately for air. His whole body was trembling, and his breaths were short and shallow. Kuroo ran to his side as everyone’s eyes drifted over to them. Kuroo pulled Bokuto’s hands away from his face trying to get his attention. Kuroo spoke in a low calming voice as he placed a hand on Bokuto’s back rubbing up and down with a steady rhythm.

“Hey Bo, it’s alright. It’s alright. Just try and calm down. Can you try and breath in time with me? Follow the rhythm of my hand on your back.”

Bokuto couldn’t hear anything Kuroo was saying. He was overloaded with a strong anger surging deep within his belly, but he wasn’t angry. Bokuto's mind reeled out of control until he couldn’t think anymore. This only made him hyperventilate more and tremble more vigorously. Kuroo looked around at the others searching for someone in particular, when his gaze landed on that person, he beckoned him over. Akaashi practically threw himself over to Bokuto and Kuroo on the floor.

“Akaashi I need you to calm down.” Kuroo whispered in the younger’s ear.

Akaashi nodded taking a couple deep breaths. Kuroo slowly moved to the side to allow Akaashi to take his place beside Bokuto. Before he retreated completely, he made sure Akaashi knew how keep a steady rubbing rhythm on Bokuto’s back. Akaashi pulled the white-haired man into a tight hug as he continued to rub his back just as Kuroo had shown him. He moved his head to sit in the crook of Bokuto’s neck and raised his lips to Bokuto’s ear. Akaashi took a deep breath before whispering his name.

“Bokuto-san.”

At the sound of his name Bokuto untucked his head from between his knees. His eyes still shut tightly as he faced the direction of the sound. “Akaaaashi, Kaashi… K-kashi?”

“Yes Bokuto-san. I’m right here, I’m right here. I need you to try and breath for me, can you do that?... Can you do that for me Bokuto-san?”

Bokuto nodded and opened his eyes slowly focusing on the face in front of him. That horrible boiling anger that raged inside of him had dissipated a few minutes before he heard Akaashi call his name, but his body was still reacting to the overwhelming presence of foreign emotions inside his body. Once Bokuto’s eyes were focused on Akaashi he started trying to calm his breathing; at first all he could manage were ragged gasps, and quick inhales of air. After a few minutes passed Bokuto began to feel the hand on his back and he took his cue to breath from its rhythm. A gentle touch running up and down his back slowly, it soothed him until he had regained full control over his breathing. Even after Bokuto had calmed down Akaashi didn’t let go, still holding him close and running his hand smoothly along Bokuto’s tight muscles; he was afraid that if he let go Bokuto would return to his fragile state. Bokuto finally managed to poke his head up from Akaashi’s tight hold.

“I think I’m alright now Kashi, thanks.” Bokuto muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’m sorry I ruined everyone’s fun.” Bokuto added sadly.

“Don’t worry about it Bokuto, are you alright?” Suga asked.

“I think I’ll be fine. I would hate for the night to end like this, so how about we all get back to eating!” Bokuto said cheerfully.

A bunch of faces looked at him with concern, but after seeing his bright smile they couldn’t help but smile back. Akaashi helped Bokuto to his feet cautiously so he didn’t topple right back over onto the floor. Everyone returned to their seats and started some idle chatter never again bringing up the incident or anything to do with werewolves the rest of the night. At first the cheery lighthearted mood seemed forced but as the night went on and everyone grew more comfortable with one another they settled into a peaceful cheery atmosphere. Akaashi kept his eyes glued to Bokuto the rest of the night watching for any signs of another panic attack. The first one had seemingly come out of nowhere, but it was no surprise based on the joke Oikawa had made. Kuroo on the other hand kept a sneaky watchful eye over Akaashi rather than Bokuto. Hinata showed up two hours late, but he was greeted with excitement and enthusiasm by Bokuto who was simply happy he made it. Bokuto introduced their final guest as the orange ball of energy filled himself a plate full of food. The others continued their idle chatter while Hinata ate; after everyone had finished their food, Suga brought out the delicious desert he had been working on before everyone arrived. The hazelnut brownie tarts were all gone within minutes of being set out on the table. They all enjoyed each others' company, chatting and hanging out late into the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the eleventh chapter:
> 
> \- Iwaizumi finally called Suga for help with Oikawa's problem. Suga suggests they get another werewolf to teach Oikawa how to control his new abilities.  
> \- Suga asks Bokuto for his help with Oikawa, when he refuses Iwaizumi insists on meeting him face-to-face. Iwaizumi loses his temper throwing himself and Suga into a tense situation with Bokuto who brought along Akaashi.  
> \- After everything calms down Iwaizumi confesses why he is so desperate for their help. This causes Bokuto to change his mind and he agrees to help them. He begins giving werewolf lessons to Oikawa accompanied by Suga, Akaashi, and Iwaizumi.  
> \- At first the lessons are tense and everyone is full of distrust for the others. As time goes by and more and more lessons take place, they all begin getting much closer and actually manage to become friends. This prompts Bokuto to suggest a gathering for everyone to hangout outside of Oikawa's lessons.  
> \- Bokuto invites the rest of his friends so that they all get to meet each other. During their meal Oikawa brings up a sensitive topic causing Akaashi to get mad at him when everyone including Bokuto becomes uncomfortable by the topic. Bokuto has a sudden panic attack and Kuroo has to calm Akaashi so that he can comfort Bokuto.


	12. This is My Family

“Hey, Tooru. Are you awake?” Iwaizumi asked quietly flipping to his other side to face his boyfriend.

“Hmm” Oikawa responded without opening his eyes.

Iwaizumi hesitated with his next words, unsure if his boyfriend would agree, or if he was even awake enough to remember this conversation the next day. The silent pause and hesitation that was uncharacteristic of Iwaizumi caused Oikawa to finally open his eyes and look upon his nervous boyfriend. Iwaizumi’s hands were fidgeting while his head lay still on the pillow next to Oikawa’s; the spiky-haired male was unable to meet his boyfriend’s eyes.

“What is it Iwa-chan? What’s got you so flustered this early in the morning?”

“Our two weeks are up tomorrow.” Iwaizumi said quietly.

“Hunh? What two wee… Oh, you mean we have to return to work tomorrow.” Oikawa's heart dropped a little when he mentioned work.

“I have been thinking… do you maybe want to quit? I mean clearly neither one of us is excited about going back, and it isn’t like you ever wanted this in the first place. Tooru, you could go to medical school like you’ve always wanted, and I could get a normal job, building houses or something. I just, can’t help but feel angry at myself for mercilessly hunting wolves, especially after meeting Bokuto and you becoming one.”

“I know exactly what you mean. I don’t want to go back ever, especially knowing they’d kill me if they found out my secret.”

Iwaizumi finally stopped fidgeting and gave his boyfriend a small smile. Oikawa returned the smile, before rolling closer to Iwaizumi so that he was tucked in the other’s embrace. Iwaizumi placed a light kiss on his boyfriend's forehead.

“Alright, we should visit the boss tomorrow.”

* * *

Akaashi had work with Konoha today, so Kuroo wanted to take the opportunity to talk with Bokuto about dinner last night. Bokuto was surprised to see his lazy friend awake so early on his day off. Akaashi had just left and Bokuto was preparing to go for his early morning run. He opened the door to Kuroo’s room very quietly trying call Misty out without waking up the man in the bed, but to Bokuto’s surprise there was no man in the bed. Bokuto walked into the room and didn’t see Kuroo anywhere; he took Misty out of the room and searched for Kuroo. It only took him a couple seconds to realize Kuroo was in the bathroom. He must have gotten up when Bokuto returned to his room to change after sending off Akaashi. Bokuto sat on the couch with the Dalmatian at his feet waiting for Kuroo to get out of the bathroom.

“Hey, hey, hey! You’re up early!” Bokuto exclaimed as Kuroo strolled out of the bathroom still half asleep.

“Oh, hey Bo. You going for your run?”

“Yep! Care to join me?! It will wake you up quicker.”

Normally Kuroo would decline Bokuto’s offer because he was way too sluggish in the mornings, but today he had some important things to discuss and decided that the run might present a good opportunity or at the very least wake him up enough to talk when they got back. Plus, it was kind of sad that Bokuto was the only one who ever took Misty on walks even though she was Kuroo’s dog.

“Sure. I can take Misty from you today.” Kuroo offered.

“Are you sure? Misty and I have a pretty quick pace, that might be hard to keep up with if you aren’t used to it.” Bokuto teased.

“Bring it on!” Kuroo took Bokuto’s words as a challenge, which they were.

Bokuto hopped off the couch and headed to the door followed closely by an excited Misty. Bokuto gave her a pat on the head before directing her over to Kuroo who was holding her leash. Misty appeared slightly confused at the idea of Kuroo taking her instead of Bokuto but happily trotted over to her owner. Kuroo hooked her up on the leash and the three of them left out the front door. As soon as they were off the property Bokuto picked up a jog and took the lead heading towards the park he usually ran through. Kuroo kept pace with him being slightly dragged along by his dog who was used to being in front with Bokuto. As they finally got to the park Kuroo was beginning to slow his pace a little: he had expected to stop and take a break and was surprised when Bokuto didn’t slow at all. Kuroo let out a little huff before picking up his pace again to match the man in front of him. About halfway through the park Kuroo was huffing and wheezing out his breath, sweat dripped off him and he couldn’t keep pace with his friend any longer. Bokuto stopped and turned back to look at Kuroo who was now bent over huffing with his hands placed on his knees. Misty also looked back at him with a sideways tip of her head, as if asking what was wrong.

“I told you we keep a fast pace. How about we take a break.” Bokuto offered helping his friend over to sit on a bench nearby.

“Good idea.” Kuroo huffed.

“Well you did pretty well for the first little while, but to be honest I thought you would make it a lot further.”

“Oh shut up!”

Kuroo was in decent shape and he exercised whenever he had the chance; although, he had been slacking a little bit lately. He was tall and had long legs and despite his lean appearance he definitely had some muscle mass, but he wasn’t nearly as broad as Bokuto. Kuroo had thought he would be able to keep up with his friend easily, but then again it had slipped his mind that not only did Bokuto workout and exercise nearly twice as much as him, but he had the advantage of being a werewolf. Kuroo was able to catch his breath again before long, and when he finally looked up at the park, he noticed how beautiful it was. He looked over to the man sitting beside him; Bokuto was taking in all the beautiful scenery. The park was filled with open green spaces, lovely flowers, and large overhanging trees, that created enough shade to keep the park nice and cool.

“It’s a really nice place isn’t it.”

“Yeah.” Kuroo agreed.

A long comfortable silence passed over the two friends as they observed the beautiful scenery around them. Kuroo thought this would be the perfect time to bring up the topic he had been wanting to discuss with the white-haired man but found himself getting slightly nervous. Kuroo wasn’t 100% sure that his ideas on the matter were even accurate, and somehow it made him uncomfortable to imagine the reaction he might get from Bokuto. After all, Bokuto hadn't seemed to see it as a good thing the last time they spoke about it. Bokuto noticed a slight nervous smell coming from his friend and turned to him.

“Hey Tetsu, is something wrong?”

“No, not really. There was just something I was hoping to talk about, but I’m not really sure how to start.” Kuroo said seriously.

Bokuto found it kind of strange that Kuroo who usually hid behind humour, lighthearted jokes and teasing could be this serious about wanting to talk. Bokuto gave Kuroo a brilliant reassuring smile.

“You know you can always talk to me about anything.”

“Thanks.” Kuroo returned a soft smile.

“So, what is bothering you?”

“Do you remember at dinner yesterday evening when you had a weird feeling and then later on had a panic attack… do you know why that happened?”

“Umm… no not really, I actually kinda forgot about it already. But it was really weird because it felt like my body was being invaded by foreign emotions that didn’t belong to me, and I just couldn’t control it.”

After hearing Bokuto’s words Kuroo became more confident in what he was about to say next. “Bo do you remember when you were explaining to Akaashi and I about werewolf powers?”

“Yep! I remember it well, and it turns out Akaashi was actually paying really close attention. He helped me explain some of the things I talked about to Oikawa and Hinata.”

“Well Akaashi wasn’t the only one paying close attention.”

“What do you mean?” Bokuto asked tilting his head in curiosity.

“Well I remember you explaining imprinting to us, and how the imprinted pair would be able to feel each others' emotions through the bond and everything, and I’ve noticed that you and Akaashi have become awful close lately. Especially after he helped you out with Oikawa’s lessons.”

“Yeah… I guess so?” Bokuto obviously didn’t catch on to what Kuroo was implying.

“Remember how I asked you if a werewolf could imprint on a human, and you said it was possible, but the exchange of emotions would be one sided and therefore very overwhelming.”

“Yeah, although I’m still not sure if that is accurate or not because I've never seen it happen before.”

Geez Bokuto could be so clueless sometimes! Kuroo would have to be really blunt if he wanted his thick-headed best friend to understand. “Bo what I’m trying to say is do you think you may have imprinted on Akaashi?”

“W-what? What would make you think that?” Bokuto got really flustered and a slow blush consumed his face.

“Well I was just thinking…” Kuroo was suddenly cut off by his flustered friend.

“You know that to imprint on someone the feelings can’t be one-sided right? I’m pretty sure Akaashi doesn’t like me that way…” Bokuto trailed off and hung his head.

Kuroo’s eyes widened in surprise. He knew that Akaashi was very much in love with the white wolf, but the reason he had doubted himself was because he hadn’t known Bokuto’s feelings towards the younger male. Bokuto always seemed to be more comfortable around him even from day one, but that didn’t necessarily mean he was in love with the man. Kuroo had his suspicions but hearing it straight from Bokuto surprised him a little. It also made him a lot more convinced that he was right. 

“Umm… Bo, are you serious? How could you not notice all the smiles he sends your way? How protective he gets of you, and how jealous he becomes whenever someone else gets too close to you.”

Bokuto’s face flushed even more. “He's just a really good friend who cares about his friends, and he smiles fairly often.” Bokuto said still unconvinced.

“Bo before he met you, I had hardly ever seen him smile. It wasn’t because he wasn’t happy, but he's normally a very stoic person who hardly ever expresses his emotions. Since he has met you, I have seen him be more expressive in that time than the past four years I’ve known him.”

“Really?” Bokuto asked with a quiet glimmer of hope in his eyes.

“Really.” Kuroo assured him.

Bokuto looked away from Kuroo. “Well I’m still not sure.”

Kuroo let out a soft sigh. His two idiot best friends were very observant, but they could be frustratingly ignorant and dense when it came to each other. There was no need to push the subject for now; he would have the two of them talk it out later. Kuroo just had to make sure that he kept Akaashi from blowing up into a rage of wild emotions, which would normally be easy, given it was Akaashi. But the whole situation became ten times harder when you added Bokuto to the mix. Kuroo stood up and offered to continue their run, which lifted Bokuto’s spirits back to normal. Their whole conversation completely forgotten, for now.

* * *

Iwaizumi and Oikawa successfully quit their jobs as hunters. The meeting had gone fairly smoothly; their boss wanted to know their reasons for quitting, which was to be expected. Therefore, they had a couple reasons lined up for when the question would be asked: Oikawa wanted to go to medical school and become a doctor, Iwaizumi didn’t want to risk either of them getting hurt again, and they just felt it was time for change to pursue other options in life. Their boss had taken the news fairly well, and they assured the council that they still agreed with the cause and wouldn’t mention anything about their secret organisation to the public. Their boss and the council had no reason not to believe them since they had been some of the organisation’s best and dedicated hunters. There was also the fact that Oikawa’s parents had been decent enough hunters until they retired. They had the organisation’s full trust and it definitely aided their situation.

* * *

A couple days later, Daichi’s party of hunters had finally returned from their last assignment which Suga had been absent from: he told his husband that he had some important matters to attend to with the café, but he was really helping out Oikawa and Iwaizumi. Since Daichi’s party had lots of members Suga’s absence was easily dismissed. If they had fewer members there is a good chance Suga would have been required to go with them. The council determined that sending Daichi’s party to investigate the incident where Oikawa got hurt would be their best option in case of another surprise attack. When Daichi and the rest of his party’s members arrived at the location they were sent, Daichi reminded everyone to stay alert because the wolf lurking around had already attacked someone and would do it again. The party fanned out in all directions in pairs searching for any traces of the wolf. Daichi took Tobio and headed north, Asahi took his apprentice Noya and headed south, Ennoshita and Tanaka took the east, which left Suga and Tsukishima with west. Kenma being the brains behind the operation stayed back in the van at the parking lot, communicating to the rest of the team through radios.

As Suga moved stealthily through the forest keeping an eye on his blond partner, he desperately hoped that they didn’t meet the wolf. Ever since Bokuto, Suga had come to seriously hate his job and he wanted nothing more than for the team to find nothing. He didn’t want to have to mercilessly slaughter another family of werewolves ever again. Suga noticed his partner stop out of the corner of his eye; he quietly made his way to the taller boy’s side. The tall blond was crouched down inspecting something on the forest floor. When Suga got a better look, he noticed enormous pawprints on the ground, far too big to belong to a dog. Tsukishima reported his findings back to Kenma, who radioed the rest of the team to meet at Tsukishima and Suga’s current location. Once all of the members had arrived, Daichi tracked the wolf using the pawprints along with other signs that the forest floor had been disturbed by a passing presence. Everyone else stayed back holding a tight formation searching for signs of movement in the bushes. As they tracked the pawprints further they suddenly turned into footprint that lead straight out of the forest and into the city. Once the trail was lost the party returned to their control center.

“Looks like we have werewolves living in our city.” Daichi announced to the party running his hand over the scars on his left eye.

“This means we will all have to be extra cautious and on the look out for anything suspicious at all times.” Asahi added.

Panic began to rise within Suga upon hearing those words. As soon as the footprints led into the city, Suga had been prepared for this outcome, but it still terrified him. If the hunters were going to be extra suspicious and cautious of everyone around them, then so would Bokuto and Oikawa have to be. Suga pushed down his rising sense of panic before anyone could notice; he would have to warn his friends to be on extra high alert for the next few days at least. After Daichi made the report to the boss, he dismissed the party. Suga volunteered to warn Iwaizumi and Oikawa about the situation so he would have a reason to tell them what he really wanted to say. Daichi nodded at him, and Suga took his phone out and walked away from everyone where he wouldn’t be heard. The phone rang a couple times before anyone picked up.

“Hello, Suga? What’s up?” It was Iwaizumi who had picked up Oikawa’s phone.

“Hey, I just wanted to let you know that our party investigated the area where your incident took place. We didn’t find the wolf, but we did find pawprints that led into the city.”

“Ah, shit!”

“Yeah, the hunters are being put on high alert for suspicious persons and activity, so you guys should probably be extra careful too. I don’t think anyone would suspect ex-hunters but don’t let your guards down. Also, I would like you to warn Bokuto for me, I don’t want to risk exposing him.”

“Yeah, sure no problem, Tooru and I can handle that.”

“Also, I don’t think I should attend Tooru’s training lessons anymore. I don’t want Daichi to get suspicious, I'm already having a hard-enough time hiding my feelings on the matter. So please, try and be good to Bokuto and Akaashi, we don’t need another episode like at dinner the other night.”

“Got it, we will be more careful with the things we say around the two of them.”

“And last thing before I leave, we have come to learn that not all werewolves are bad, but they also aren’t all good either. The werewolf that attacked Oikawa could have felt threatened and that’s why it attacked, but there is also the possibly that it just attacked you without a reason. Plus, Bokuto said that it is forbidden for werewolves to bite and turn humans, so my guess is the latter.”

“Right!”

“Please, just be careful and keep each other safe. I will do everything in my power to help.” Suga finished before he hung up.

Iwaizumi just finished his conversation with Suga when Oikawa walked out of the kitchen.

“Iwa-chan is that my phone?”

“Yes. Suga called so I answered it for you.”

“What did Suga-chan want?”

“He just wanted to warn us.”

Iwaizumi gave Oikawa his phone back as he explained to his boyfriend the conversation, he had with Suga. Oikawa seemed to understand the gravity of the situation just as well as Iwaizumi because he didn’t tease or joke about anything the whole time, they discussed the topic. Oikawa reminded Iwaizumi that Bokuto had work today, so they would have to tell him later on when he was home from work. This was the type of thing that needed to be said in person, but even if it wasn’t, they didn’t have Bokuto’s contact information, nor did they know where he lived. At least they had the whole day to figure that part out.

* * *

Bokuto was working today, and Akaashi and Kuroo had the whole house to themselves. Kuroo had wanted to talk with Akaashi about the same thing he had mentioned to Bokuto a couple days before, but he was unsure how to go about it. He had already been nervous to talk about it with Bokuto who was one of the easiest people in the world to talk to, but Akaashi was definitely not the easiest person to talk to. Despite Kuroo knowing him for four years and them being good friends and roommates for two, Kuroo still felt uncomfortable bringing up more serious topics with the younger male. And this serious topic involved Bokuto, which could make Akaashi even more difficult to talk with. Kuroo decided he needed some time to clear his head, so he went out to Suga’s café for a drink. The whole atmosphere in the house had been a little tense since the dinner with everyone, but only when Bokuto wasn’t around. When Bokuto was around he lifted everyone’s moods and made the whole house peaceful and cheery. Kuroo was lost in thought as he took the chai tea latte he ordered over to a table. He had almost made it to the table when he bumped into something and he spilled his latte all over himself. Kuroo was jolted back to reality by the burning hot liquid seeping into his shirt and making contact with his skin underneath. Kuroo looked down to see he had run into someone; the boy had darker blond or really light brown hair, Kuroo wasn’t sure which description fit best, and the boy was fairly short. Kuroo hadn’t even seen him until he looked down.

“Umm… I’m so sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” Kuroo stammered.

The boy looked up at Kuroo to say something, but when their eyes met their faces lit up in recognition.

“Kuroo?”

“Yaku?!”

Both men said at the exact same time. Kuroo took the napkins the shorter one offered him and tried as best as he could to dry his shirt. They both took a seat at the table Kuroo had been making his way over to before he bumped into Yaku.

“I haven’t seen you since high school! How have you been?” Yaku asked.

“Pretty good! It has definitely been too long. But, wait… I thought you moved back home after high school. What brings you here?”

“I did move back home, but just recently decided to move back. What have you been up to? Are you still in school?”

“Yeah, I’m in my second year of university to become a veterinarian technician. Over the summer I have been working at one of my roommate’s parent’s clinic for experience.”

“So, you moved out, and you have roommates?”

“Yeah, I have two awesome roommates, I met one of them before my first year of university, and we ended up being in the same classes. Then I met my other one just recently, but we are all close and get along well. So, are you in school at all?”

“No, I moved here mostly just looking for a decent job.”

Kuroo and Yaku continued to catch up on the things they had missed in each other’s lives since Yaku moved away. As they were talking Yaku picked up a faint werewolf scent from his friend. Being one himself Yaku was able to smell it very clearly and he became a little concerned. Yaku knew that not at werewolves were friendly, especially towards humans, mainly because of the hunters. The more Yaku thought about it the more he became increasingly concerned. He decided he would make sure there weren’t any problems, and that his old friend wasn't in any danger. Kuroo probably didn’t even know he had been hanging around a werewolf; therefore, he could be in danger without even knowing it. Thinking along those lines Yaku told Kuroo they should meet up again soon, mainly so that Yaku could have the opportunity to question Kuroo more about his life in order to try and find the werewolf. Then the short man would confront the other werewolf and make sure they weren't a threat.

“How about you come over to dinner at my place tonight. I mean as long as you don’t mind meeting my roommates.” Kuroo suggested.

This presented Yaku with a golden opportunity, he could get more information out of his roommates as well. “Yeah, sure! I’d be happy to, as long as your roommates don’t mind.”

“Nah, they are pretty cool, they won’t mind. I’m sure you guys will all get along great.”

With that they leave the café, and Kuroo drove them both back to his house. They still had a little while before Bokuto got home from work but in the meantime Kuroo could introduce Yaku to Akaashi. When they arrived at Kuroo’s place, Yaku noticed the whole house smelt like the werewolf he had smelled on Kuroo at the café earlier. So, the wolf was definitely a close friend because they had been in the house. This should help Yaku narrow down the search. Once they walked in the door Akaashi came out of his room to greet his returning roommate. Akaashi welcomed Kuroo back home and looked over at Yaku and then back at Kuroo uncertainly. He was surprised by the guest and had no idea who he was or why Kuroo had brought him home. Yaku froze the minute he laid eyes on Akaashi: the man had a very strong werewolf smell. Yaku hadn’t expected the werewolf to be one of Kuroo’s roommates, this wolf could be more problematic than he had originally thought.

“Akaashi this is a friend of mine from back in high school, Yaku Morisuke. I ran into him at the café and invited him back for dinner, I hope that’s okay. Yaku this is one of my roommates and classmates Akaashi Keiji.” Kuroo introduced the two strangers.

“Ah, Nice to meet you Yaku-san. We are happy to have you over for dinner tonight.” Akaashi said in a deadpan voice showing no emotions on his face.

Yaku was taken aback by the polite speech, but total lack of emotion in his voice or on his face. He couldn’t read the curly-haired man, and that didn’t sit well with him. Kuroo left the two of them alone together while he went into the kitchen to order them food. Since Bokuto was at work he wouldn’t be cooking tonight. Akaashi led Yaku over to the couch where they each sat on opposite ends as far away as possible from each other.

“So, how long have you known Kuroo?” Yaku questioned awkwardly.

He knew that the other wolf could smell his scent as well, so he was aware that Yaku was also a werewolf, but still his expression remained neutral and uninterested.

“About four years now, but we have only been friends and roommates for two.”

“Is there any particular reason why you aren’t living with your family?”

Akaashi was completely confused by the other’s question but he didn't let it show on his face or in his voice when he answered. “I just decided I needed my own space, so I moved out.”

Yaku was getting a little frustrated: he wasn’t getting anywhere, and the other wolf certainly wasn’t about to bring it up so he would have to. “I know what you are.”

“Ummm… excuse me?” Akaashi questioned.

“You better stay away from Kuroo! If you hurt him, I will kill you.” Yaku threatened.

“I’m sorry Yaku-san, I don’t quite understand.”

“Oh, quit it with the act already, I already know!”

Kuroo returned from the kitchen to see his two friends arguing on the couch. He had been so sure the two of them would get along. Why in the world were they fighting?

“What’s going on?” Kuroo asked sternly.

“I have no clue.” Akaashi confessed.

“Seriously stop lying! Kuroo your friend here is dangerous.” Yaku stated looking over to Kuroo whose eyes had grow wide in confusion. “I can smell it all over you!”

“Smell what exactly?” Akaashi asked never once breaking his neutral expression despite the fact he was getting kind of annoyed with the shorter male.

“Werewolf, you are obviously a werewolf!” Yaku stated firmly.

Kuroo burst into a fit of laughter. He was covering his mouth with his hands trying to stop, but he was now cackling loudly almost like a hyena.

“You have to believe me Kuroo! I'm a werewolf too, so I can smell other werewolves, and he smells very strongly of wolf.” Yaku said while pointing at Akaashi.

Kuroo’s laugh got even louder and harder. Yaku was about to say something thinking Kuroo still didn’t believe him, but he was cut off when Kuroo suddenly ceased his hyena like laughter and spoke up.

“I believe you, but he isn’t a wolf.” Kuroo said through giggles.

Yaku at his friend utterly confused. Akaashi’s face lit up bright red as a blush took over his facial features. Kuroo stopped laughing completely now and his gaze fell on Akaashi’s blushing face.

“What in the world did you do to get his scent all over you?” Kuroo asked Akaashi.

“Am I missing something?” Yaku cut in.

Akaashi’s face continued to blush brighter red by the second, which was a complete contrast to his normally very pale skin tone. Kuroo was wearing one of the slyest smirks on his face and all his attention was focused on Akaashi, still waiting for an answer to his question. At that moment Bokuto walked in, he was humming a tune loudly as he walked through the door. Yaku and Bokuto’s eyes met as soon as he was through the door and Yaku thought he finally understood. Bokuto casually walked in, his humming had stopped, and he smoothly made his way over to stand next to Akaashi, who turned away from the white-haired male to hide the blush still present on his cheeks.

“Who are you?” Bokuto asked the short guy sitting in Kuroo’s spot on the couch.

“He's an old high school friend of mine.” Kuroo chimed in relaxing Bokuto’s on edge attitude.

“So, what were you guys doing?” Bokuto asked happily.

“Actually, I was about to ask you that question. What were you and Akaashi doing last night after I fell asleep?” Kuroo asked with a sly grin.

“Watching a movie.” Bokuto replied, confused by Kuroo's smirk.

Kuroo’s sly grin faded from his features. Bokuto’s answer was so genuinely confused that Kuroo thought he might have misunderstood something. Kuroo opened his mouth to explain Yaku’s misunderstanding, and how Kuroo had thought maybe they did something, but before the words could come out, he was cut off by Akaashi.

“Don’t you _dare_.” Akaashi said glaring at Kuroo all signs of his blush gone.

Kuroo looked over at the younger one surprised. His reaction only made Kuroo more intrigued to find out what happened between him and Bokuto. Kuroo thought Bokuto might have made a move on Akaashi after their talk the other day, but clearly that wasn’t the case with the way Bokuto had reacted. Kuroo made a mental note to speak to Akaashi and make him spill after dinner. That was the first time Kuroo had ever seen Akaashi blush so hard; he was practically blushing like a schoolgirl after having confessed her feelings to the love of her life. Bokuto was still confused and wanted to know what was going on, but he knew better than to question Akaashi when he spoke firmly like that, so instead he stepped forward and introduced himself to Yaku. Yaku practically ignored Bokuto’s introduction and looked over at the other two.

“You knew?” Yaku asked looking between Akaashi and Kuroo.

Both black-haired men nodded their heads.

“Yeah, he told us. And he's fine, not dangerous at all. He probably couldn’t even hurt a butterfly.” Kuroo teased.

Bokuto walked to the other side of the couch where Kuroo was standing and grabbed his head in his arms. He squeezed his nicely toned biceps around Kuroo’s neck gently, while messing up his black hair more than it already was.

“I could hurt you if I wanted to!” Bokuto teased back.

Akaashi giggled from his spot on the couch. “Sorry Bokuto-san, but I will have to agree with Kuroo-san on this one.”

Bokuto visibly deflated letting go of the taller raven-haired man. “Agaaaaashi!” Bokuto whined.

At seeing the lighthearted mood and interactions between the three roommates Yaku relaxed. They all seemed really close and got along just fine, like Kuroo had told him back at the cafe. There was no reason for Yaku to be worried, but it was better safe than sorry. The food arrived and Bokuto set the table so the four of them could sit down and dig in. In the middle of shoveling food into their mouths there was a loud knock at the door. They weren’t expecting any guests; Kuroo got up to open the door. To his surprise Oikawa and Iwaizumi were standing outside their front door. Oikawa pushed his way in completely ignoring the presence of Yaku, who he hadn’t even noticed.

“How did you know where we lived?” Kuroo asked.

“Well on my last lesson Kou-chan taught me how to track scents. I’m not very good at it yet, so it took me over three hours. But anyways, we have some important news from Suga.” Oikawa said.

“He told us that the hunters tracked pawprints into the city, so they are going to be on high alert looking for anyone who seems suspicious, so we have to be extra careful.” Iwaizumi finished explaining in his boyfriend’s place.

Yaku who had remained unnoticed by the two newcomers excused himself saying he had something to do. Upon hearing this information Yaku left to warn the rest of his family. After Yaku left Oikawa began to freak out.

“I’m so sorry! That was really bad! I didn’t even notice you had a guest and Iwa-chan spilled important secrets in front of him.”

“Well next time definitely be more careful, but for now it’s okay. Yaku is actually a werewolf too, so I probably would have ended up telling him anyways.” Bokuto reassured Oikawa.

“Oh, I thought he smelled funny compared to most people.”

“Yeah, that’s the smell of a werewolf, and the both of us also have it although you can’t smell your own scent, so you have probably only smelled it on me, which is why you didn’t quite recognise it despite already having learned that lesson.” Bokuto said proudly.

“Ah, good to know thanks Kou-chan.”

“Thank you for warning us.” Akaashi said in his neutral tone.

“Back to being unreadable I see. Was the other night at dinner just a one-time thing, or are you actually capable of emotions?” Oikawa teased with a sweet, innocent tone.

“I don’t know what you mean Oikawa-san, I am perfectly capable of feeling emotions.” Akaashi stated flatly.

“I’m not so sure.” Oikawa said.

Iwaizumi smacked his boyfriend over the head, before they both quickly shuffled back out of the door waving goodbye as they left. Kuroo closed the front door and dragged Akaashi off to his room by his wrist. There was something he had been waiting to ask Akaashi the whole night. Bokuto ignored the two and retired to his room for the night. Akaashi was standing in Kuroo’s room with the door closed behind them and Kuroo sitting on his bed expectantly. Akaashi guessed he hadn’t forgotten about Yaku’s misunderstanding and wanted to know the reason behind it.

“So, are you going to tell me, or do I have to drag it out of you?” Kuroo asked after a long pause of waiting.

“Fine. After you went to sleep, Bokuto-san and I watched a movie. He ended up falling asleep in my lap before the movie was over. I tried to get up without waking him, but he was so comfortable that I just couldn’t move. I ended up falling asleep on the couch with him and woke up with my head nuzzled into the crook of his neck, where a werewolf’s scent gland is. It released such a nice smell that I could help but stay there and breath it in.” Akaashi said with a completely monotoned voice devoid of any embarrassment he had harboured earlier.

Kuroo snickered. “Oh my god, you kill me! So, what did your prince charming smell like?”

“You don’t need to know.” Akaashi said before retiring to his room.

* * *

The next day Bokuto and Kuroo were off work. Bokuto decided he should pay a visit to Hinata and relay the warning he received from Oikawa and Iwaizumi the previous day. When Kuroo finally woke up around noon, Bokuto made his lazy friend some breakfast (more like lunch), and then drug him off to the café. Only Hinata was working that day, so Suga was out of his office helping out. Even though weeks had gone by it appeared as though Suga still hadn’t found a replacement after Bokuto quit. This made Bokuto feel guilty for quitting on them so suddenly, but he knew Suga understood his reasoning. Kuroo and Bokuto took a seat at the table closest to the windows at the front entrance of the café. This allowed for the lovely summer sun to seep into the café and warm whoever sat in its light. The café always had such a peaceful atmosphere, that was one of the things Bokuto loved most about it. Hinata came over to take their drink order as soon as he was able. The short orange-haired boy must have been busy due to the staff being short handed. Hinata greeted them excitedly before taking their orders and heading over to relay it to Suga. When their drinks were finished, Suga brought them out to the two men because Hinata was helping another customer. Suga didn’t give them much of a greeting probably trying to be discreet about involving himself with Bokuto in public. Right as Suga was about to leave Bokuto called out to him.

“Hey, do you think you could tell Hinata to come talk to me on his break, I have something important to tell him.”

Suga gave Bokuto a curious glance before nodding his head. “I will be sure to let him know.”

“Thank you.” Bokuto said with a grin.

Kuroo and Bokuto talked amongst themselves to pass the time while they waited for Hinata to take his break. Half and hour later Hinata bounded over to their table without his apron on. He gave the two of them a wide smile. Bokuto beckoned the little ball of energy to follow him outside where they wouldn’t be heard. Hinata followed the two older boys without hesitation; once they reached a spot where no one was around Bokuto stopped and turned to face Hinata.

“I have something really important to tell you. It won’t take too long but listen closely.”

Hinata acted as if he hadn’t even heard Bokuto. “Why’d you bring Kuroo instead of Akaashi-san?”

“Listen Shrimp, Bo needs to tell you something important, and Akaashi’s at work so you will have to deal with me.” Kuroo snapped.

“Awe.” Hinata pouted.

“Anyways, I just wanted to warn you that the werewolf hunters are going to be on high alert, so you will have to be extra careful. I don’t recommend changing into wolf form outside until everything settles back down.” Bokuto said seriously.

“Awe! Recently I have been practicing my athletic abilities outside on an obstacle course I made out in the forest. Nobody ever goes there.”

“Maybe put that training on hold for awhile. I’m serious about being careful. I don’t want you to get hurt.” Bokuto said a little more sternly.

“Alright fine!” Hinata let out a big annoyed sigh.

“You know Bo only has your best interest at heart, right?” Kuroo said.

“Yeah, yeah I know. I should probably get back to work now. Nice seeing you Bokuto-san!” Hinata brushed off Kuroo’s words.

Kuroo turned to face Bokuto “Bro, I’m not so sure he is taking this seriously.”

“Yeah… guess I’ll have to keep an eye on him! At least he agreed not to train outside for the meantime!”

* * *

A couple days later, Kuroo got a call from Yaku asking if they could meet up at Kuroo’s place with Bokuto so that they could talk somewhere safe. Kuroo agreed but told him it would have to be in the evening because he and Bokuto were working that day. Yaku agreed and hung up abruptly. Kuroo wondered if perhaps Yaku wanted to discuss what he heard last time he was over at their place. Guess he would find out when Yaku showed up later on. Kuroo sent a brief text to Akaashi out of courtesy, warning his roommate Yaku would be coming over tonight before returning to his front desk duties. The remainder of work seemed to drag out for hours because Kuroo couldn’t stop thinking about what Yaku wanted to discuss with them. After work finally ended Kuroo dragged Bokuto out to the car as quickly as he could. He hadn’t had a chance to tell Bokuto about Yaku’s visit, so he explained it on the drive home.

When Kuroo and Bokuto got home they were greeted by a full house. Yaku had already arrived along with a bunch of other people, and Akaashi had let them all in. With one sniff Bokuto could tell they were all werewolves, he gathered they must be Yaku’s family. It put him a little on edge having so many unknown wolves in his house but knowing Yaku they were probably all good people. Kuroo looked absolutely stunned when he walked through the door and saw all the people in his house.

“Hey Yaku! You didn’t tell me you were bringing so many people.” Kuroo had to yell over the noise.

The short dirty-blonde-haired boy emerged from the small crowd of people to greet Kuroo and Bokuto.

“Sorry, that was kind of a last-minute decision. This is my family and I thought they should probably be included in the discussion.” Yaku said apologetically.

“I believe some introductions are in order.” Akaashi chimed in emerging from the crowd to stand next to the other three.

An instant sense of relief washed over Bokuto when he heard Akaashi’s voice. He hadn’t even noticed he was still a little on edge looking for the green-eyed man in the crowd. The three who lived in the house moved the couch, coffee table, and chair backwards to allow for more people to sit on the floor in the living room. While they rearrange the room, Yaku got all of his family members in order sitting on the floor of the living room. The three homeowners joined the others once everything had been moved. When everyone was settled into place Yaku introduced his family.

“This is the baby of the family Haiba Lev.” Yaku pointed out a tall, lanky silver-haired boy with bright green eyes. “This is Kyoutani Kentaro, he doesn’t talk much and always looks angry.” Yaku pointed to an angry looking guy with short-cropped blonde hair with two dark brown stripes running down each side. “This big guy is Matsukawa Issei.” Yaku directed their attention to a tall man with dark brown hair, thick eyebrows, and eyes so dark they appeared black. The next person Yaku introduced was equally as tall as the last and had light reddish-brown hair and dark brown eyes. “This is Hanamaki Takahiro, beside him we have Kunimi Akira and Kindaichi Yutaro.” Yaku gestured to a slim boy with sleek dark brown hair, gray eyes, and a bored expression on his face; then Yaku gestured to a tall boy with spiky black hair, a pointy shaped head, and nearly black eyes. 

“Nice to meet you all! I’m Bokuto Koutarou!” Bokuto’s loud boisterous voice gained the attention of everyone in the room. “This is Kuroo Tetsurou, Yaku’s high school friend, and over here we have Akaashi.” Bokuto took the liberty of introducing his roommates.

The tall silver-haired boy known as Lev spoke up. “So, where’s your family then Bokuto.”

Most of the werewolves turned to look at Bokuto expectantly. Clearly, they had all been wondering the same thing. When there was a slight pause and tension began to build Yaku smacked the much taller but younger boy over the head with force.

“Idiot Lev! Don’t go asking such personal questions as soon as you are introduced to someone, and please be respectful with how you address people older than you.” Yaku bowed in apology to Bokuto.

“Lev’s way of asking was certainly rude, but we would be happy to hear your story if you are willing to share.” Matsukawa spoke up gaining nods from the other wolves.

Bokuto took a deep breath. “Well, I’m not from here. I lived north of Sendai with my family, but they were all killed by hunters while I was out of the village completing my test to become the alpha of my family.”

“Wow so you’re an alpha!” Lev interrupted earning him a shush from Yaku.

“Yes I am.” Bokuto continued. “I was chased by the hunters all the way to Tokyo where I was left for dead. That's when Akaashi and Tetsu found me and nursed me back to health. I have been living here for a little over a month now.”

“I am very sorry to hear that. Our family is made up of survivors from two different families. Lev, Kyoutani, and I lived with our family just north of Yokohama, but when our family was mostly all wiped out by hunters we moved into the city of Yokohama and began living more closely with humans. There we met the remnants of another family that lived to the south of Yokohama: Matsun, Maki, Kunimi, and Kindaichi. We all joined together to form our current family.” Yaku explained.

“That’s great!” Bokuto cheered.

“So why did you guys leave Yokohama and come to Tokyo?” Akaashi asked bluntly.

“Well some of the humans around us started getting a little suspicious. We had a few accidental mishaps, so we decided it would be best to leave before the hunters came.” Yaku replied.

“Speaking of hunters, is what Yaku told us true? The other day he came back and told us that he overheard a conversation about the hunters in this city being overly cautious because of an incident.” Hanamaki said.

“Yes, the other day while we were eating dinner with Yaku, a couple friends of ours showed up and warned us to be extra careful. A few hunters were attacked by a werewolf on the outskirts of the city and apparently, they found pawprints leading into the city. We don’t know who the wolf is though, so probably somebody we haven’t met.” Kuroo replied.

Bokuto was thankful that Kuroo didn’t mention anything about how Oikawa and Iwaizumi got that information or the fact that they were ex-hunters. Bokuto was pretty sure they could trust Yaku and his family, but he was unsure to what extent, and the last thing Bokuto wanted to do was put his friends in danger. Yaku and his family had been hurt by hunters, and they had to leave their homes because of the humans around them. That left potential for them to be against the two ex-hunters. Bokuto was already happy enough they had excepted him and Akaashi, he didn’t want to push his luck.

“Bokuto seeing as how you don’t have a current family; how would you feel about joining ours? None of us are alphas, and our family is currently lacking a strong leader, we would be grateful if you would join us and become our alpha.” Yaku offered.

Bokuto’s eyes widened in surprise at the proposition. He hadn’t expected to be asked to join their family and as the alpha no less. As Bokuto contemplated the idea he felt a certain sense of sadness about accepting their request, probably because it would be like the denying that the bunch of oddballs he had come to know and love were his new family. Whether they felt the same or not Bokuto truly believed that Kuroo, Akaashi, Konoha, Oikawa, Iwaizumi, Suga, and Hinata were his new family. A sudden wave of intense loneliness washed over him, and he felt it getting harder and harder to breath. Kuroo noticed Bokuto’s struggle and placed a comforting hand on his friends back before glancing over to Akaashi who had a rather sullen look on his face. Kuroo needed to do something about Akaashi before Bokuto had another panic attack because of the younger male's overwhelming emotions. Before he could do anything Bokuto managed to gasp out a few words that calmed Akaashi and therefore himself as a result.

“I’m sorry but I have to decline.”

The other wolves stared at him with astonished faces except for Yaku who wore a small knowing smile. The other wolves looked around at each other confused; they all knew it was a wolf’s instinct to be together with other wolves as part of a family, which is also sometimes why lone wolves end up starting packs. Their confused and frazzled looks all ceased the moment the young silver-haired boy spoke again.

“Why not?” Lev asked with harmless curiosity.

“Because I do have a family of my own. It might not be very conventional, but they are family to me.”

“Who?” Lev asked persistently.

“Well for starters Akaashi and Kuroo here, then there are the two that came and gave us the warning, as well as two others.”

“Humans? Are any of them even werewolves?”

“Yes, there are two other werewolves besides me.”

The others all looked surprised by Bokuto’s words. No doubt they were thinking how Bokuto could allow humans into his family. Their thoughts were all brought to life when Lev spoke up again.

“It’s not possible to be a family with humans. Humans hate us and we hate them. That's how it has always been and how it will always be. So, why don’t you just leave them and come with us.” Lev declared confidently.

Kuroo and Akaashi were surprised and no doubt hurt by those last words from Lev. Bokuto felt a tinge of anger grow inside him. He did not like when people spoke about his family that way, they couldn’t just dismiss something that was so important to him; however, he never acted out of anger because no matter how angry he was at the ignorant gray wolf, he also understood the feeling of being hated by everyone around you. Bokuto hadn’t really had much experience with humans, but most of the experiences he had were bad until he came to live with Kuroo and Akaashi. After a small silence due to shock, even though most of them were thinking the same thing, the angry looking werewolf spoke up.

“Shut up Lev! It isn’t like you have the right to judge him, none of us do. He has probably been through far worse because he was all alone. At least we had each other, but he had no one! Yet he was still strong enough to recognize that not all humans are bad. Not everyone is the same! He is probably a hell of a lot stronger than any of us! So, if he says that’s his family, we don’t have the right to judge him!” Kyoutani growled.

“I agree, families can come in many different forms, but what’s important is the bonds between its members. Clearly they aren’t lacking there.” Yaku spoke calmly which was a huge contrast to Kyoutani’s rough, angered growl.

“But Yaku-san…” Lev started to argue.

Yaku cut him off with a swift blow to the back of the head. “I’m sorry about him, he can be quite rude.”

Bokuto let out a hearty laugh. “That’s alright, I didn’t expect you to understand, I just expect you to respect my decision. But I’m always happy to help if you need it! Seriously, anytime!”

* * *

Over the next couple of days Kuroo, Akaashi, and Bokuto helped the other werewolves as much as they could. They helped them look for places to live where they would all be decently close to each other. They helped them settle into Tokyo and showed them around the city. They also helped find the werewolves jobs. Before too long Yaku and his family were beginning to settle into their new lives. Bokuto made it a habit to check up on them every once in awhile, which they greatly appreciated. They also started getting along better with Kuroo and Akaashi.

One night when Bokuto had gone to the apartment complexes to check up on the other werewolves he ran into Kyoutani standing outside his room. The angry looking man was leaning over the railing of the second floor looking out at his surroundings. Bokuto slid over to join him.

“So how is everyone settling in?” Bokuto asked in an unusually subdued voice.

Normally Bokuto would be bounding over to the other man and talking his ear off, but something about being around him was strangely relaxing. Bokuto felt as if he needed to maintain the peace and calmness that the man exuded despite his angry looking face. Kyoutani was quiet for the most part usually just sending out harsh glares and grunts, but when he talked his words were all very thought out and mature even if he spoke them with a harsh growl. If there was one thing that Kyoutani respected it was strength whether that be physical, emotional, or intellectual strength; Kyoutani respected it, which also meant he had a certain respect for Bokuto. The white-haired man was the complete definition of strength according to Kyoutani. 

“I think some of them miss their home, and their previous family members. We have been a family for awhile now, but I’m pretty sure they still miss their blood relatives and their friends. We were pretty lucky Matsukawa, Hanamaki, Kindaichi, and Kunimi are all close. Matsukawa and Hanamaki were best friends in their previous family. Kindaichi is Matsun’s half-brother, and he also has his best friend Kunimi. Lev has Yaku who he has always followed around everywhere. I never really had anybody to start with, so I’m used to it, but I'm pretty sure there are still others they miss. Then there is Yaku who holds our family together all on his own. He is kind of like our unspoken leader. Given a little more time I’m sure we will adapt.”

“That’s good to hear.” Bokuto was about to leave and check on the others when Kyoutani’s voice pulled him back.

“How are you and that curly black-haired boy?”

“Hunh? You mean Akaashi? We’re fine, why?” Bokuto was caught off guard with the other’s question.

“I guess I meant how is it to be imprinted on a human?”

“What? We aren’t, he doesn’t even feel that way about me.” Bokuto insisted.

“Trust me I can tell. I seem to have a nose for sniffing out imprinted pairs, and I usually notice it before the pair themselves. Matsukawa and Hanamaki are an imprinted pair, and I knew back when they still insisted, they were just friends. You have definitely imprinted on him. Also, I noticed your reaction to his loneliness when, Yaku suggested you join our family.”

“Kuroo, thinks the same thing, but I’m still not so sure.” Bokuto’s voice held a bit of sadness.

“Well believe me or not, I don’t care. But if you ever need help with figuring it out, I wouldn’t mind lending a hand, and our lovely imprinted pair have a pretty good relationship so, they might be of some use too.” Kyoutani’s voice was a low growl but it was missing the ferocity and menacing aspect it had to it when he spoke to everyone else.

“Thank you.” Bokuto said before walking past the angry looking blonde to check on the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the twelfth chapter: 
> 
> \- Iwaizumi and Oikawa quit their jobs as hunters without too much difficulty.  
> \- Kuroo talked to Bokuto about his suspicions of Bokuto having imprinted on Akaashi. He is convinced that Akaashi's strong overwhelming emotions are the reason Bokuto has been having panic attacks lately, and Kyoutani also thinks the same.  
> \- Daichi's hunting party investigates the area where Iwaizumi and Oikawa were attacked. They end up finding pawprints that lead directly into the city. This puts the hunters on high alert, so Suga warns his friends to be careful. Bokuto also warns Hinata who doesn't take it too seriously, but promises not to be in wolf form outside for awhile.  
> \- Kuroo runs into an old high school friend at the café. It's Yaku and he turns out to be a werewolf.  
> \- Yaku introduces Bokuto to the rest of his family and offers him a place with them. Bokuto declines the offer saying he already has a family. Bokuto, Akaashi, and Kuroo help the other werewolves settle into their new lives in Tokyo.


	13. Breaking a Promise Could Get You Killed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mild Violence, Panic Attack  
> This chapter contains scenes depicting mild knife and gun violence as well as a panic attack. The panic attack includes hyperventilation, trembling, and struggling to talk. If you want to skip the violence part stop reading on the paragraph that starts out like 'This was no time for Hinata to get caught up in the details...' and pick it up on the paragraph that starts out like 'Hinata noticed the others approaching...'. If you want to skip the panic attack stop reading on the paragraph that starts out like 'Suga had just finished cleaning up...' and pick it back up when Kuroo says 'Got you'.
> 
> If you do skip this part of the story you can read the notes at the end of this chapter. They will highlight all of the important points covered in this chapter, so you still get all the information needed to understand what is going on.

Suga had been out on a lot more werewolf searches lately: Daichi had decided to take his party out on patrol every couple of days to try and find the werewolf that attacked Oikawa. Luckily so far, they hadn’t found anymore traces of werewolves anywhere. Suga wasn’t sure what he would do if he was presented with the opportunity to take out a werewolf. As much as he would like to think he would do the right thing and not shoot, there was still a possibility that he would fire simply because the other party members were watching him. Suga didn’t want to disappoint his husband and son who he loved dearly, he didn’t want to let down their friends who he’s known forever now, but he also didn’t want to take another innocent life. He didn't want to disappoint his new friends. He was stuck between what felt like two horrible outcomes and he wanted nothing more than to never have to decide between the two.

The party decided to stay together this time in case they ran into any trouble. They moved swiftly and quietly through the forest in a V formation with Daichi in the lead followed by Asahi and Tobio on either side of him. Tsukishima and Noya were after them followed by Tanaka and Ennoshita on the far right, and Suga on the far left. This was one of their strongest formations with their leader up front followed by the members with the best close combat skills, then in the middle the mid-range shooters who usually used handguns, and on the far outside wings the long-range shooters. Suga was one of the long range-shooters with a precise, accurate shot that almost never missed its target. Ennoshita and Tanaka were their other long-range shooters positioned opposite Suga. Tanaka with his crossbow and Ennoshita with a similar rifle to Suga’s, only his precision and accuracy was inferior to the much more experienced silver-haired hunter.

The party had covered a lot of ground before Daichi signaled for everyone behind him to stop. Everyone froze on the spot at Daichi’s signal, silently trying to get a better look at whatever caught their leader’s attention. Suga craned his neck in the direction Daichi was facing and caught a glance of fluffy orange fur. Shit, please don’t be a werewolf Suga prayed silently. If it was a werewolf, it sure wasn’t very aware to not have noticed them yet. They were downwind so their scent would be harder to catch but werewolves supposedly had really good hearing according to Bokuto. Even if their steps were trained to be quiet and delicate, the wolf should have been able to hear them approaching, but the ball of orange fluff showed no signs of noticing them. Daichi signaled for the party to advance slow and cautiously. Suga automatically fell into silent steps along with the rest of the party even though his heartbeat became erratic with panic. Once they approached close enough to get a better look at the animal Daichi signaled for them to freeze. A little orange wolf appeared to be playing with what looked like a little agility course. He was weaving between trees, jumping over stumps and broken branches, and crawling under fallen trees. The animal was clearly a wolf, His oversized paws, physical abilities, and glowing eyes were clear indicators, but he was quite small. Suga guessed he was still fairly young and inexperienced, which explained why he still hadn’t noticed their presence.

Suga’s heart pounded harder in his chest. This was bad, really bad! Despite the wolf’s small size, it could jump high and ran pretty fast, but Suga wasn’t sure it would be enough to dodge a bullet at this range. The silver-haired man closed his eyes tight and prayed that Daichi didn’t turn to him to take the shot, there was no way Suga would miss at this range and everyone knew it. It would be suspicious if he did. Suga silently cursed himself for being such a good shot and when he opened his eyes, he saw Daichi turn back and signal to Tanaka to take the shot. Suga was really hoping that Daichi would choose Ennoshita because he would be the most likely to miss, but then again Daichi didn’t want them to miss. So, of course he wasn’t going to let the most inaccurate shooter take the shot. It would be stupid if he did. Tanaka nodded and lined up his shot to the orange ball of fluff still ducking and diving around obstacles unaware of the danger he was in. Suga closed his eyes tight as Tanaka released his arrow heading straight for the wolf. Suga expected to hear a whimper from the young animal before it fell over and they moved in for the kill, but when there was no screech of pain Suga chanced a glance. The wolf had ducked behind a tree just in time and Tanaka’s arrow had pierced the tree instead of its intended target. The wolf still oblivious to the whole situation turned to stare in the direction the arrow had traveled. The fluffy creature was stunned to the spot eyes searching for the culprit, and Daichi signaled for the party to advance and attack.

Hinata finally caught sight of a group of people coming out of the bushes. They were all dressed in heavy duty clothing and carried weapons such as knives and guns. They appeared hostile as they approached him, and it took him a minute to realize what was going on. Bokuto had warned him a couple days ago about being careful of hunters, but never having had any experience with them he brushed off the older wolf’s warning. Clearly, he shouldn’t have done that. Hinata now found himself in a really tight spot not knowing what to do. Being adopted by humans, Hinata had never experienced the cruelty of humans, so he never took Bokuto’s warnings about them very seriously, but now he wished he had. Hinata stared at the men approaching him for a minute longer before catching a glimpse of a familiar face. It was Tobio: the boy Hinata worked with, the boy Hinata attended school with, the boy he called a friend. No matter how many times Bokuto warned him about Tobio Hinata had insisted he must have seen wrong. He must be talking about a different person. Tobio wasn’t like that; he had a shitty attitude sometimes, but overall he was a good person and a great friend. In fact, he was one of Hinata’s only friends. Hinata glanced over at the other faces steadily approaching him he recognized another face, a tall blond with glasses. Tsukishima Kei he was in the same grade as Hinata and Tobio, but he was in a different class. Hinata was pretty sure that he had seen Tsukishima with Yamaguchi before.

This was no time for Hinata to get caught up in the details of his attackers, and his attention was brought back to the moment as he dodged a bullet just in time. It flew past his face grazing his right cheek causing him to wince in pain. His cheek stung and he looked up to see where the bullet had come from. His eyes were locked with yet another familiar face. Suga shot a warning bullet at the wolf to try and get the animal to flee. The wolf had barely been able to dodge it and Suga thought for a moment maybe that decision was too risky. But the moment the wolf’s terrified eyes landed on him he mouthed the words ‘RUN’.

Hinata got the message loud and clear; finally unfrozen from his spot he turned and bolted in the opposite direction trying to put as much distance between him and the hunters. The hunters were quick to give chase. When Hinata felt he was a good distance ahead of them he chanced a glance backwards over his shoulder still sprinting at full speed through the forest. The hunters were closer than Hinata expected; they were keeping a decent pace with him, and they were about to close the distance a little more. With that single glance backwards Hinata lost his footing and tripped over a large tree root jutting out of the ground. He still wasn’t used to doing things in his wolf form yet and was sent tumbling forwards onto his face. This gave the hunters enough time to gain some distance. Hinata was quick enough to get to his feet and he had a hunter running straight toward him.

Tobio was faster than the rest of them and he knew he could close the distance between them and the wolf. He broke formation and ran full speed toward the wolf laying on the forest floor still trying to regain its bearings. There was a yell from his father that was completely ignored by raven-haired boy. He was prepared to be lectured later, all that mattered in that moment was killing the wolf in front of him. Just as Tobio closed the distance the wolf was on its feet but before it could flee, Tobio lunged at it with a large knife in his hand. The wolf was quick and able to doge the incoming blow. Tobio was relentless with his swings not allowing enough time for the wolf to take off running again, but he was also stopping anybody from taking a shot at the wolf for fear they might hit the boy. The wolf dodged a couple of Tobio’s fierce swings, and the boy also landed a couple just grazing the wolf’s skin. He just had to buy enough time for the other hunters to get there and help him kill the wolf.

Hinata noticed the others approaching quickly behind Tobio. He needed to get away, and he needed to do it now before all hope of escape was lost. Hinata’s cheek still stung with pain from where the bullet had grazed him and now so did a couple scratches on his back and chest. Hinata desperately searched his brain for away out of this mess. He needed a distraction of some kind allowing him enough time to get away. The next idea that came to mind wasn’t a very good one because the success rate was low, but he had to try anyway, and if it worked, he would be killing two birds with one stone. After Tobio threw another swing of his knife at him, Hinata leapt back a couple paces allowing for some distance. He threw his head up to the sky and let out the loudest howl he could manage. It seemed to have worked: Tobio and the other hunters were stunned in place and then looking around in all directions as if expecting an attack from another wolf. This gave Hinata just enough time to bolt out of there. Once the hunters were sure there wasn’t another attack coming, they continued their pursuit of the orange wolf, Tobio falling back into formation. Now all Hinata had to do was outrun the hunters and maintain his footing until his back up arrived. Or at least that is what he hoped would happen, when Hinata had let out his howl it not only served as a distraction but also served as a cry for help. He knew Bokuto would rush to his side if he needed it, he just had to hope the older wolf had heard his cry.

* * *

Iwaizumi and Oikawa had spent the day registering Oikawa for medical school in the fall and trying to search for a good job for Iwaizumi. Luckily, Tokyo had an amazing university know for its top tier medical program and it was close to home. Iwaizumi wasn’t in any hurry to find a new job. They had a lot of savings: hunting paid pretty well because they were also paying for the hunter’s silence on the matter. If worse came to worst, they knew they could depend on Oikawa’s parents who were retired and very well off. Although, Iwaizumi would like to avoid that situation if possible. They had taken care of him since he was a young child after his parents died. He didn’t want them to have to keep taking care of him, and he had promised that he could take care of their son when he and Oikawa told them about the two of them dating. Oikawa’s parent had been supportive like they always were and left their son in his care. Iwaizumi felt a sense of responsibly for their two-person family and he didn’t want to rely on others for help. Oikawa was scrolling through job openings on his laptop when he suddenly paused and looked up as if searching for something.

“What’s wrong babe?” Iwaizumi asked.

“Shhhh.” Oikawa said concentrating his hearing on the distant sound that pierced through his ears.

Iwaizumi didn’t say another word but looked at his boyfriend with concerned eyes. Oikawa turned to the spiky-haired man with widened brown eyes.

“I can hear a wolf howling.” Oikawa finally said.

“What? Where? Do you know who it is?”

“I can’t tell where it came from, but it was loud. Whoever it is must be in serious trouble to leak their location like that. I didn’t recognize the sound though, so it wasn’t Bokuto. That means we should be alright.”

“That’s good.” Iwaizumi breathed a sigh of relief.

“But we should probably stay inside for the rest of the day just in case.” Oikawa added.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best." Iwaizumi agreed.

* * *

Yaku and the rest of his family were all gathered together in Matsukawa and Hanamaki’s apartment room discussing their next steps. Yaku was going over some rules about not being in wolf form outside in the city, as well as the forest until the hunters weren’t looking for them anymore. For the next little while the only place they were allowed to be in wolf form was in their rooms and only if the door was locked. Yaku discussed emergency evacuation plans in case there was ever a need to get out of the city in a hurry. It was sad that these measures were needed but it was better to be safe than sorry. He had been in a couple bad situations before, and he knew it was always better to have a solid plan. Yaku was determined to keep his family members alive. He was the most responsible out of the group apart from Kyoutani so he took on the role of mothering the others. Kyoutani was responsible, but only for himself, most of the time he argued with the other members, so the role fell to Yaku and Yaku alone.

Their meeting was soon interrupted by a shrill shriek of a howl that sent shivers down each and every one of their spines. The cry was leaking of desperation for someone, anyone to come to the rescue. Matsukawa, Hanamaki, Lev, and Kyoutani were on their feet before the howl had even faded. It was obvious that the sound was relatively close, they could probably make it in time if they tried. Yaku stood a second after the others and grabbed Lev by the wrist pulling him back to a sitting position. The others who had stood up looked back at him with questioning gazes.

“Don’t you even think about.” Yaku said firmly.

“What?!” Matsukawa was surprised.

“What do you mean? We aren’t just going to ignore that call for help, are we?” Hanamaki backed up his boyfriend.

“We can’t!” Yaku stated firmly.

“But Yaku-san…” Lev argued.

“No, we can’t!” Yaku repeated.

“Can’t or won’t?!” Kyoutani’s accusing tone cut through the room.

“We already had to leave one home, due to slip ups. We can’t afford anymore mistakes. We just got here! We are finally getting settled in. We have places to stay, most of us have gotten jobs or interviews for jobs at the very least. We have made some good friends. We really can’t afford to mess up this opportunity!”

Hanamaki and Matsukawa seemed to take a moment to consider Yaku’s words. The short man wasn’t wrong, if they went out there and helped whoever had called for it, they would be risking their own lives as well as their family’s life. Hanamaki and Matsukawa looked between each other before complying and sitting back down. They convinced themselves they didn’t have a choice if they wanted to live. Kyoutani, however, didn’t take kindly to Yaku’s warning.

“So, we are just going to leave one of our kind to die! Just like the rest of our families before?! Are you fucking kidding me! You’re all cowards! We could help. We could make a difference. We could save a life!” Kyoutani’s growl switched to an angry yell.

“What if by the time we get there it is too late, and we are exposed for nothing? What then? The howl was an unknown. It could even belong to someone who might become our enemy. I will not let you put our family in danger for that.” Yaku countered.

“So, you won’t help because the wolf is unknown? Would you even bother to help if it was him?!”

Yaku knew Kyoutani was referring to Bokuto: he had taken a strange liking to him ever since they met, which was strange because Kyoutani didn’t particularly like anyone. Yaku positioned himself in front of the door in case the other wolf decided to charge out. Kyoutani shot Yaku an accusing glare and stomped off to the bathroom where he locked himself in. Kyoutani was so frustrated with the others: he thought out of everyone they would understand what a little bit of help could do for someone in desperate need. What if someone had showed up when their family was being attacked? Would more of them still be alive now? Yaku’s reasoning for denying him weren’t ungrounded, but they shouldn’t have mattered more than someone’s life whether that life was a stranger or a friend. Kyoutani curled himself into a ball as he laid on the floor locked in the bathroom. He was disappointed in his family, but he was more disappointed in himself. Because he knew that he was just going to sit there and hide while someone could be dying. In that moment Kyoutani hoped Bokuto had heard the howl knowing he wouldn’t hesitate to do something about it. Unlike him and the rest of his family, Bokuto was selfless and truly kind.

* * *

Bokuto was at work with Kuroo, just finishing up the morning paperwork before their lunch break. Most of the customers had already started leaving as lunch was approaching. Kuroo left the front desk and was walking over to get his lunch from his locker when he saw Bokuto freeze in his tracks and drop the stack of papers he was carrying back to the office. The man with the two-toned hair was staring off into the distance as if he was trying to focus on something far away. Bokuto quickly crouched down and messily scrambled to pick up the dropped papers. When he got them into a messy pile, he marched over and shoved them to Kuroo’s chest and bolted for the door. Kuroo was too shocked to say anything for a second, his eyes staring after his friend as the man ran away.

“I have to go! Hinata is in serious trouble! Call Konoha to fill my shift for me, I promise I will make it up to him.” Bokuto called over his shoulder before exiting the clinic building.

“Wait Bo! You can’t just leave!” Kuroo called after him.

Bokuto turned around and gave his friend an apologetic smile before sprinting off out of sight.

“What if you get hurt or worse killed.” Kuroo muttered under his breath knowing his friends was already gone.

Kuroo immediately got out his phone and called Konoha to come in. Luckily, the blonde didn’t have any plans and was totally fine with it. The next person Kuroo called was Akaashi. If Bokuto was going to listen to anyone, he knew it would be him. Akaashi answered the phone right away and Kuroo frantically explained the situation to the younger male on the other end of the call. Akaashi listened quietly never once interrupting him. When the situation had been explained, Akaashi said he would take the car and go out looking for Bokuto, and that Kuroo could join him as soon as his shift was over. Kuroo was desperate to be out there searching for Bokuto too, but he knew he couldn’t abandon his job without anybody else to cover for him, so he stayed.

Bokuto thundered down the street at full speed towards the sound of the terrified howl that he recognized as Hinata. As soon as Bokuto put the pieces together in his mind, his body reacted on instinct and charged forward towards the sound without a second thought. He knew he was asking a lot of Konoha to cover for him and of Kuroo to stay put, but Hinata was in danger. They would have to deal with it for now. As soon as Bokuto hit the edge of the forest he changed into his wolf form easily adjusting to his new form mid-sprint. Bokuto didn’t slow down, in fact he sped up using his wolf abilities to their maximum potential. His ears and nose had already zeroed in on Hinata’s location. He was being chased by a large group of people that Bokuto recognized as the hunters that killed his family. When Bokuto was close enough, the hunters came into sight. They were holding a steady formation so intent on chasing the wolf in front of them that they had left their backs wide open. Bokuto used that opportunity to dart right through the middle of the hunters, bumping into them, knocking them off balance, and messing up the formation. When he broke through the front, the hunters were far too jumbled up to shoot at him.

Suga caught Bokuto’s eye as the white wolf darted straight through the middle of the party creating chaos and confusion. The silver-haired man gave him a worried glance: there was no way the other hunters wouldn’t recognise him, especially Daichi who still had the scars to remember the wolf by. Suga also felt a small sense of relief wash over him as the idea that Bokuto could get the other younger wolf out of this mess alive crossed his mind. Bokuto picked up speed until he caught up with Hinata who was a few lengths ahead of the hunters. The little orange wolf looked exhausted and terrified out of his mind. It pained Bokuto to see him like that; he really hoped Hinata would never have to experience anything like this. Once Hinata caught Bokuto’s smell next to him, his slowed his pace ever so slightly to fall in right beside the older wolf. He knew Bokuto would come for him. He had faith in his friend, and the white wolf didn't disappoint. Hinata felt a sense of relief wash over him, but they still had to get out of the mess that Hinata had now dragged Bokuto into, and therefore, by default therefore Akaashi and Kuroo were probably implicated as well. Bokuto picked up speed again and took the lead, Hinata right on his heels. He needed to lead them to safety without going home. He couldn’t afford the hunters tracking them back to their homes, that would be an unforgivable mistake.

An idea lit up in Bokuto’s mind; he knew where they could go. Hinata was beginning to drag behind unable to keep up with the pace Bokuto set for them. The little orange wolf looked tired, Bokuto thought he was probably out practicing on his obstacle course. Shit! He should have kept a better eye on the bundle of energy. He knew Hinata hadn’t taken his words super seriously, but he didn’t think the wolf would disobey him to this extent. He even went as far as to break his promise to Bokuto, but there was no time to think about that: Bokuto needed to get them out of there quickly. The white wolf grabbed the smaller wolf by the scruff in his powerful jaws and picked him up off the ground. Hinata was small for his age, and he most certainly wasn’t full grown yet, Bokuto was three times his size and was easily able to carry him. He ran at full speed weaving in and out of trees to confuse their pursuers all with the orange fluff ball dangling from his mouth. When Bokuto was positive they had lost the hunters and wouldn’t be seen, he darted out of the forest and into the city. They were still in wolf form so Bokuto had to be careful to hide them well, staying on the outskirts of the city where there were less people and forest all around in case they had to retreat into the trees.

Finally, they arrived at the café. Bokuto knew it would be closed due to the absence of Suga, the mean black-haired boy, he had seen out in the forest, and Hinata who he was currently carrying in his mouth. Bokuto went around back where he found the door locked with a small chain and padlock. Bokuto placed Hinata down and used his teeth to break the measly chain. Once inside Bokuto led Hinata down into Suga’s secret basement; the poor little wolf was so frazzled he didn’t even know where they were. Once safely down in the basement Bokuto changed back to his human form, Hinata quickly following suit. Bokuto was huffing and puffing, no matter how good of shape he was in that would make him tired. He had run really far at full speed and carried another wolf in his mouth for half of the time. Once Bokuto’s breathing returned to its steady rhythm he got blanket to wrap themselves. Hinata was shaking so bad his eyes couldn’t concentrate on anything; Bokuto was pretty sure the boy was in shock. He observed a graze on his cheek and a couple other small shallow cuts on his chest and back, nothing that wouldn’t heal on its own. Thank god, he wasn’t more seriously injured.

“W-w-where are w-w-we?” Hinata asked his voice weak and shaky.

Bokuto didn’t answer him, instead he turned back into his wolf form and wrapped himself around the boy curled into a ball. Hinata was tightly wrapped in the blanket Bokuto handed him. The boy was curled into a ball to appear as small as possible, and his hands clutched tightly at the blanket’s edges. Bokuto curled around the small terrified boy releasing calming pheromones. Within a couple minutes Hinata stopped trembling and nestled his face into Bokuto’s thick fur and fell asleep. A couple hours later Hinata woke up at the sound of someone coming down the stairs. He didn’t dare remove his face from Bokuto’s silky snow-white fur. Suga descended the steps to his basement to see Bokuto in wolf form. The wolf stood to confront Suga, and Hinata moved to crouch behind him, face still pushed into Bokuto’s fur.

“It’s alright it’s just me.” Suga said softly, reassuring the wolf in front of him.

Suga knew that Bokuto already knew it was him long before he had descended the stairs but seeing the large animal before him was certainly intimidating. He felt the need to reassure himself that Bokuto knew he was harmless. The wolf took the blanket he was using earlier and turned back to his human form revealing Hinata still hiding behind him. Losing the contact of Bokuto’s fluffy fur Hinata rushed to wrap his arms around the muscular man’s middle and hold on for dear life. After a long pause of silence, the boy finally felt brave enough to peer his head around Bokuto to see the newcomer. Hinata and Suga locked eyes, and Suga broke the stare to look back to Bokuto.

“So, this is why you came running when he called.” Suga said.

“I would have gone regardless of who had called.” Bokuto responded.

“I can’t believe I never knew Hinata was a werewolf. All this time he worked for me, all the years he went to school with Tobio. He is Tobio’s best friend!” Suga felt a little confused.

Hinata clung to Bokuto’s side not leaving him for even a second. He no longer felt comfortable around the man who was his boss at the café. All Hinata could do was stare helplessly at the man before him. He was afraid Suga would do something, he wasn’t even sure why the silver-haired man was there, but he knew Bokuto could and would protect him if necessary. So, he made sure not to leave the older wolf’s side.

“Why did you come here? You know I ran into Akaashi and Kuroo frantically driving around looking for you.”

“I couldn’t chance leading the hunters back to them or to Hinata’s home either. I also needed to talk to you. Did they notice?”

“If what you’re referring to, is that the wolf Daichi left for dead is alive and well, then yes they noticed.”

“Shit! Well nothing I can do about it now. I have one more favour to ask. Could you treat his wounds?”

Suga held his hand out for Hinata to take it, but he didn’t. Bokuto pulled the boy in front of himself and rested a comforting hand in his orange hair.

“I promise he won’t hurt you and if he does, I’ll kill him. I promised I would protect you, so I will.”

Hinata let Suga treat his scratches but didn’t move more than a few inches away from Bokuto. The white-haired man asked the boy if his parents were home, but Hinata shook his head telling him that they were overseas with Natsu. He hadn’t gone because he would miss too much work. Bokuto insisted that Hinata would stay with him, and he got zero complaints from the boy. Suga finished cleaning up the small cuts that littered Hinata’s body. They weren’t deep, so they just needed to be disinfected to avoid infection.

* * *

After Kuroo called him, Akaashi dashed out of the house to the car. He drove around on the outskirts of the city looking for any sign of Bokuto or Hinata. Akaashi was surprisingly remaining calm, he needed a clear head to think and observe the passing forest for any clues as to where Bokuto might be. That was the only thing making him keep his head on straight and keeping him calm. Akaashi drove around for hours finding nothing. He looked at the clock and realized that Kuroo’s shift would be ending soon, so he drove to the clinic to pick him up. Kuroo dashed out of the doors leaving Konoha to do clean up by himself, he hopped into the car beside Akaashi and they drove off. Kuroo had just experienced the longest shift of his life: he was so worried about Bokuto the whole time he could hardly concentrate.

“Where’s Bo?” Kuroo asked hurriedly.

Akaashi couldn’t even manage a neutral expression, his face was pale and sullen. “I don’t know. I couldn’t find him anywhere Kuroo-san.”

Kuroo gave his friend a sympathetic look. “Lets park somewhere and search through the forest.”

Akaashi nodded and they drove around trying to find a parking lot near the forest. They had no idea where they should be looking, the forest surrounded the entirety of Tokyo, and Bokuto could be anywhere among the trees. While looking for a place to park they happened to pass Suga on his way back to the café after the hunters lost track of the wolves they were chasing. Akaashi pulled over and rolled down his window to talk to silver-haired man.

“Suga-san!” Akaashi called

Suga looked up to find Akaashi and Kuroo in a car probably looking for Bokuto. Suga didn’t know what to tell them, he had no idea where Bokuto was, he had no idea where he would go. The only thing he could say for certain was that they weren’t caught.

“Akaashi, I-I-I… I don’t know where he is, but he managed to get himself and the other wolf away from the hunters.”

“Oh, thank god. We are going to go searching on foot, if you see him please give us a call.” Akaashi said with a sigh of relief.

The two dark haired men drove off and parked the car. They got out of the car and began searching through the forest around where Suga had mentioned they were last seen. both men had their eyes peeled and phones ready in case they got a call. After another hour of searching and coming up empty handed Akaashi was getting more desperate. He began to call out Bokuto’s name and was darting around every tree. His searching was becoming frantic and sloppy, he was tripping over himself and scrambling back to his feet. He wasn't going to be of any use like that that. 

“Akaashi, you need to calm down, we aren’t going to find anyone like that.”

“I can’t! I need to find him! What if he got hurt? What if he's somewhere laying on the forest floor dying like when we first found him?!”

“Bo is strong I’m sure he’s just fine, and Suga said they weren't captured.”

"Not captured and being fine are two very different things. He could still be hurt out there somewhere, waiting for us to find him."

Kuroo was trying his best to keep Akaashi calm because he knew that it would affect Bokuto. Whether Bokuto believed him or not Kuroo was now positive that Bokuto had imprinted on Akaashi, and Akaashi was sending all of his strong emotions at Bokuto in the form of gigantic tidal waves. That's the reason for the man's sudden panic attacks tinged with emotions he wasn't actually feeling. Kuroo tried his best but Akaashi was too panicked now to be calmed by anyone that wasn’t Bokuto. Kuroo’s phone suddenly rang, expecting it to be Bokuto he pulled his phone out of his pocket and was disappointed when Suga’s name came up on the screen. Akaashi grabbed the phone out of Kuroo’s hand before he had a chance to answer it. He picked up the phone and answered with a strangled hello.

* * *

Suga had just finished cleaning up Hinata’s cuts, and Bokuto was about to ask for some clothes so they could get changed and make their way home when he suddenly fell to his knees gasping. A wave of fear and anxiety hit him like a brick, and he went keeling over. His breaths were coming in heavy gasps, his lungs were desperately trying to get some air. Why did he have to have a panic attack now of all times? He had felt fine moments ago, and now all of a sudden, he was panicking for no good reason. Hinata lurched towards Bokuto his hands starting to tremble as he tried to stop Bokuto’s violent shaking. Suga’s jaw dropped and he rushed forward asking what he needed. Bokuto felt so overwhelmed, he needed his space for a minute to think. Suga grabbed Hinata and pulled him away; the orange-haired boy struggling and writhing around in his grasp trying to get back to Bokuto. Bokuto tried taking deep breaths to even out his breathing but it wasn’t working, causing him to puff out short shallow breaths that were beginning to get faster. He started to feel dizzy with the lack of oxygen; his body was about to shut down and pass out when a lightbulb lit up in his mind.

Bokuto remembered his conversation with Kuroo about him having imprinted on Akaashi. He had doubted it back then, but then when Kyoutani brought it up it made him rethink everything again. He still refused to believe their words, but right now he was rethinking it for the third time. Bokuto calmed his mind as much as he could and reached out through the bond that he wasn’t sure even existed. Sure enough his mind wandered to Akaashi. He could practically picture the beautiful boy running around the forest frantically calling out his name. Bokuto was sure now. He knew whose panic and anxiety he was feeling right now, and it wasn't his. Bokuto reached out his hand to Suga.

“Phone… c-call… A-ka-ssshi.” Bokuto tried to say while hyperventilating.

Akaashi never gave Suga his number but he did have Kuroo’s and they were probably still together searching for Bokuto. Suga had no idea what was going on, but he complied with Bokuto’s request. He clicked on Kuroo’s contact and handed the phone to Bokuto who grabbed it with a shaking hand. It only rang a couple times before being answered. It was Akaashi who answered it, in a strangled panicked voice, and Bokuto was more certain than ever now.

“Hello?”

“H-hey Kashi.”

“Bokuto-san! Where are you? Are you alright?”

“Fine K-kashi.” Bokuto's voice came out in trembling gasps.

“You don’t sound fine. Are you hurt? Bokuto-san, please tell me where you are!”

“Tet…Tetsu… phone to Tetsu.”

“What?” Akaashi stammered.

Kuroo who had heard everything took the phone back from Akaashi and turned away leaving him stunned. Kuroo walked a couple paces away before placing the phone to his ear.

“Yes Bo? What do you need?”

“Fine… both fine…have Hinata." Suddenly Bokuto's breathing calmed slightly and he was able to form complete sentences. "W-we are at the café. Kashi will know where. O-one more thing, could you please calm Akaashi down, it's getting a little hard to breath over here.” Bokuto stammered trying not to gasp between his words.

“Got you.” Kuroo said with smirk despite the fact Bokuto wouldn’t be able to see it.

After a little while Kuroo must have been able to calm Akaashi because Bokuto was finally able to breathe properly and the sense of panic he felt was gone. Suga let go of a still squirming Hinata and the boy ran to Bokuto and hugged him tightly. Bokuto passed Suga’s phone back to him.

“I’m so sorry!” Hinata was crying and sobbing.

“It’s fine, I’m alright. That had nothing to do with you. It’s a problem I will deal with later, but for now we are going to get you home and rested.” Bokuto said rubbing Hinata’s head gently.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Suga asked.

“Yeah! I will be!” Bokuto gave one of his signature smiles that let others know everything would be fine.

“I’m so sorry!” Hinata started again. “You warned me so many times, and I just brushed it off. I trusted them… Tobio, he was a friend, and I trusted him. I’m so sorry! I could have gotten you hurt or worse, even killed. Now they know about you too, and I put Kuroo and Akaashi-san in danger too!”

“Hey-hey-hey, calm down Sho. We will be alright. Just be careful next time.” Bokuto reassured him.

A little while later Kuroo and Akaashi appeared at the top of the stairs to the basement. Bokuto wrapped the blanket around his waist before picking up a sobbing Hinata and carrying him up the stairs to meet the other two waiting for him. Bokuto looked back at Suga with Hinata in his arms.

“Thanks for not shooting him. I know this was yours, and I know you never miss.” Bokuto said running a finger over the graze on Hinata’s cheek.

Suga smiled but his voice was dripping with sadness. “I am so undeserving of your thanks it’s not even funny.”

With that Bokuto got in the car with Hinata now asleep in his arms. The boy’s head was snuggled up to a broad sturdy chest, and his breathing was deep and slow. The boy’s beautiful eyes were puffy and red from crying. They drove home in silence, but as soon as they were home the two wolves were sternly lectured by a worried Akaashi. After the lecture they were showered in love and affection by the two humans who were simply grateful they were alive and safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the thirteenth chapter: 
> 
> \- Daichi's hunting party was out on their regular patrol that was set up after discovering the werewolf prints leading into the city because they were intent on finding the wolf that attacked Oikawa.  
> \- The hunting party came across Hinata who had broken his promise to Bokuto and was in the forest in wolf form practicing on his agility course. Suga shot a warning bullet to get the wolf to run away so he wouldn't get hurt. As he was running away Hinata tripped allowing Tobio to catch up to him and give him a couple scratches with his knife.  
> \- Hinata let out a loud howl to distract the hunters and call for help. the howled reached the ears of Oikawa who was signing up for medical school with Iwaizumi who was searching for a new job. the howl also reached the ears of Yaku and his family. Kyoutani was desperate to help, but Yaku convinced everyone it would be better to stay put.  
> \- Bokuto left work after hearing Hinata's cry for help. when he finally caught up to him and the hunters Bokuto carried Hinata off to safety at Suga's café, but not without the hunters noticing that he was still alive despite them leaving him for dead. Suga treated Hinata's minor wounds.  
> \- Akaashi and Kuroo went out searching for their friends and when they came up empty handed after hours Akaashi started to freak out. This of course caused Bokuto to have another panic attack making him realize that he was indeed imprinted on Akaashi.  
> \- After Kuroo calmed Akaashi Bokuto was also able to calm down. Kuroo and Akaashi went to the café to pick up their friends and took them home. They kept Hinata at their house for the night.


	14. Join Our Family

For the next week Hinata stayed close to the older wolf’s side. He followed him around everywhere like a lost puppy. He accompanied Bokuto on his morning runs, which had to be shorter than usual so Hinata could keep up with him. He accompanied Bokuto to work and just sat to the side out of the way. He even stayed in Bokuto’s room with him. The older man allowing the boy to take the bed, while he slept in his big comfortable chair. Bokuto didn’t seem to mind the company, but his roommates were beginning to be less than impressed with the little tag along. Akaashi was annoyed that he couldn’t get any alone time with Bokuto. Especially after feeling like he almost lost him, he would love nothing more than to cuddle up to Bokuto and wrap himself in the lovely caramel apple smell. Although, Akaashi couldn’t really blame Hinata for being overly attached to Bokuto: the boy was in a pretty difficult and scary situation and Bokuto was the one to save him. He was still a little nervous about being away from his protector for fear that something might happen again. Kuroo was also annoyed with the little shrimp because it meant every time, he wanted to talk with Bokuto about something important, he couln’t because Hinata was there. Kuroo had tried to talk to Bokuto about his problem with Akaashi five times now, and each time he was interrupted by the little shrimp. Kuroo had finally had enough and went to confront Bokuto about it.

“Hey, Bo! I think it is about time the little Shrimp leaves.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Bo, he follows you around everywhere, nobody else even gets a minute alone with you anymore. Aren’t you getting tired of his constant presence?”

“Well, I mean I wouldn’t mind being able to spend some more time with other people, but I can’t just kick him out. He is still scared to be alone.”

“Bo he is going to have to get used to it at some point. The kid needs to start learning how to be okay on his own again. You can’t be there at his side forever.”

“Okay, I understand. But he will be staying with us for another week until his parents are back! It should be around the end of summer.”

“Okay, fine.” Kuroo growled.

* * *

Kyoutani still had a cloud of guilt looming over his head, and he didn’t know how to get rid of it. He knew he could have done something to help, but despite his better judgement he listened to Yaku and the rest of his family. He stayed hidden in the bathroom while somewhere else there was someone in need of help. Later on, Kyoutani heard that Bokuto had gone to help the other just like he knew he would. This however, made him feel even worse about his own decision not to help. Still feeling very guilty Kyoutani decided the best thing to do would be to at least apologize. He left his apartment early that afternoon and made his way over to Bokuto, Akaashi, and Kuroo’s house. When he knocked on the door, he was surprised to fine that neither one of the three that lived there opened the door. Instead it was a small kid with fluffy orange hair that did instead.

“Who are you?” They both asked at the same time.

Hinata was the first to answer the question. “I’m Hinata and I’m staying with Bokuto-san for a little while.”

“Oh, may I come in?” Kyoutani asked awkwardly looking over the boy's head in search of a familiar face.

In that moment Bokuto came bounding over to the door to check it out. “Kyoutani! How have you been? Come in!” Bokuto enthusiastically invited the other inside.

Hinata retreated to Bokuto’s side to allow the other to come in. He didn’t know this person but by their scent he could tell he was a werewolf. The fact that is was another werewolf made Hinata feel a little more at ease, but this person was still a stranger, so he decided to proceed with caution. A new lesson he had learned after being scared out of his wits. He stayed alert for any signs of tension from Bokuto, and when he perceived none, he decided the other probably wasn’t a threat. Bokuto led Kyoutani to the couch and Hinata followed after them.

“What’s up? Did you need something?” Bokuto asked the angry looking guest.

“No, not really.” Kyoutani growled in an unusually nervous tone.

“Something wrong dude?”

“Umm… Well actually I mostly just came here to… apologize.” The last word was nearly a whisper and the others had to strain to hear it.

“Apologize? For what?” Bokuto asked confused.

“I-I… Ummm… I heard that wolf call out for help that one time, and I didn’t do anything about it!” Kyoutani sounded furious.

“Oh, that is no big deal. I helped him, and he was fine. Actually, that was Hinata who got himself into a little predicament.” Bokuto gestured to the orange-haired boy sitting beside him.

“But Still! I heard and I could have helped too! B-but instead I listened to the rest of my family and ignored it. I should have been there!”

Bokuto let out a slight chuckle. “I’m glad you feel that way. It makes me happy that you would want to help a stranger. But I understand that you also wanted to protect your family. If you had come you might have gotten them mixed up in the whole mess.”

“That’s very kind of you! But I would have felt pretty bad, after all it was my own dumb mistake. I didn’t listen to Bokuto-san’s warning.” Hinata chimed in shyly.

“Honestly don’t beat yourself up about it too much, but if you really feel bad just make a better effort next time to help!” Bokuto encouraged.

Kyoutani’s head shot up to look at Bokuto. He would have thought the other werewolf might be annoyed at the fact that he hadn’t come to help after telling him everything. But Bokuto was more understanding than he had originally realized. Kyoutani was almost a little angered that Bokuto didn’t blame him or hold him accountable, but those last encouraging words rung out in his head. ‘Make a better effort next time’, that’s what he would do.

“Okay.” Kyoutani growled in his usually angry sounding voice.

Hinata smiled at Kyoutani recognizing that despite his angry, growly voice, his words didn’t carry any actual anger or resentment. He just assumed it was probably his normal voice. “You should stay for supper!” Hinata screeched.

“Hey, hey don’t go inviting people to stay over at someone else’s house.” Kuroo hissed as he walked past the couch to the kitchen.

“Awe come on Tetsu! Don’t be like that!” Bokuto pouted.

“Whatever, fine. He can stay.” Kuroo grumbled unenthusiastically.

“Yipee!” Hinata cheered.

After that Kyoutani started spending more and more of his time with Bokuto and as a consequence Hinata too. The three of them got along well, even if Hinata annoyed the hell out of Kyoutani sometimes. As he spent more and more time with Bokuto and Hinata, Kyoutani started spending less time with his family. Not that he ever really interacted with any of them when they all hung out; he was usually pretty left out of those sorts of things. Spending time with Bokuto and Hinata made him feel included and like he actually belonged. Even in his old family, before the current one he was always an outsider. Nobody ever accepted him, so he had gotten used to being alone and not depending on the others.

Yaku had started to take notice of Kyoutani’s absence; although, he was probably the only one. One night, Yaku called a meeting so he could discuss the issue. It was late and everyone was tired, but they had all come when Yaku summoned them.

“I called this meeting today because I wanted to know what we should do about Kyoutani.” Yaku started the meeting.

“What about him?” Lev asked confused.

Yaku was met with a bunch of confused stares, and then they all looked around the room as if searching for the man in question.

“Where even is he?” Kindaichi asked.

“He is with Bokuto. Have you guys honestly not noticed that he hasn’t been around lately?” A lot of head shaking, and yawns answered Yaku’s question.

“I noticed, but I didn’t think it was a big deal.” Kunimi pipped up with a yawn.

“What do you mean it isn’t a big deal? I think we are starting to lose him!” Yaku said furiously.

“Well it isn’t like we will miss him or anything. He isn’t really very nice to us.” Lev said.

“He’s also not a very good team player. He only thinks of himself instead of the family as a whole.” Kindaichi added.

“Let him leave.” Kunimi finished.

Yaku was seething with rage now. How could they all be so indifferent to one of their own. I mean sure Kyoutani wasn’t very nice to most of them, he pretty much did his own thing anyways, he never really thought much of the other family members, but he was still part of their family. Yaku was ready to yell at all the young werewolves for saying such things, but Hanamaki spoke up first.

“Yaku is it really such an issue if he does leave? I mean come on let’s be honest, he never really enjoyed our company. At most we were tolerated and in return we tolerated him. He hardly spoke any words to us that weren’t angry outbursts. I don’t think he ever really felt like he fit in with us.”

“Have you seen him lately?” Matsukawa questioned.

“He looks so much happier than I think I have ever seen him. I mean he is actually going out of his way to interact with someone. That is huge for him. I think he has finally found a place where he feels he belongs. What more could we want than for our family’s happiness? And if him leaving is what makes our family happiest, then who are we to stop him?” Hanamaki continued

Yaku took a deep breath to process all of the information. He knew they were right: Kyoutani had seemed happy recently and there is no denying it was because of Bokuto. The rest of his family obviously weren’t that close with him, especially the younger ones. There really was no reason to stop him from leaving if that is what he decided to do, but he couldn’t help feeling like a failure. He hadn’t been able to make this place feel like home to Kyoutani, and after seeing him be an outcast for the majority of his life, that was all Yaku wanted for him. But as leader of their family he was unable to make it happen.

“You’re right.” Yaku muttered after a long pause.

All of the tired werewolves got up and left Yaku’s room one by one, none of them looking even slightly fazed by the end result of the discussion. Which just proved even more why Kyoutani would be better off with Bokuto. Hanamaki and Matsukawa were the last to leave and as they did Matsukawa sent Yaku a sympathetic look and Hanamaki squeezed the shorter man’s shoulder as he passed by. They knew that Yaku felt guilty at not being able to make Kyoutani happy because even though they may not have been friends, he was the one Yaku had known the longest. They were in the same family together before the current one was formed.

A couple days later before going to sleep Kyoutani approached Yaku telling him he was officially leaving the family. Yaku nodded and gave him a small smile, he certainly did seem happier now. Yaku wished the other luck and told him if he ever needed anything, he would still be there for him. Kyoutani thanked him before retiring to his room. Yaku smiled to himself: Kyoutani had actually thanked him for the first time in their lives. In that moment Yaku was reassured that it was the right decision to let him go.

* * *

Hinata’s parents returned from their overseas vacation a week before school started up again. That gave him just enough time to settle back into living away from Bokuto before having to face his fears. Bokuto and Kyoutani had already helped the orange-haired boy become more confident in himself again, but school would have to be faced without them. The first day of school arrived in the blink of an eye and Hinata was not looking forward to it. He had many talks with Bokuto and Kyoutani about how he should deal with the whole situation. They assured him that his classmates wouldn’t recognize him as the little wolf they tried to kill in the forest. They told him that he should concentrate more on his studies and making new friends.

It was the first day of school and Hinata was standing outside his classroom nervously debating whether or not to enter. No matter how hard he tried, all the techniques Bokuto had recommended for when he got nervous, didn't seem to help at the moment. Hinata couldn’t calm himself down at all. He wanted to run home and curl up under his duvet and hideaway in his bed for the rest of his life. Before Hinata could come to a decision there was a hand placed upon his shoulder and a familiar voice asking him if he was alright. Hinata spun around to face the boy who had addressed him, and his nervous fidgeting stopped.

“Yamaguchi!” Hinata said excitedly with a hint of relief welling up inside of him.

“I guess we are in the same class this year.” The freckled boy said with a soft smile.

“That’s great!”

All of Hinata’s nervous energy was washed away by Yamaguchi’s familiar presence. They worked together so often that they had become good friends. They never had much time to hangout outside of work, but they texted often and were close enough to be called friends. The freckled boy pushed open the door to the classroom and Hinata followed him in. His eyes darted around the room as if expecting to see the faces of the two people he was trying to avoid. Luckily, it seemed like they were either late for class or they were in different classes. Knowing Tobio the latter was the most likely option; despite the fact that Tobio wasn’t the best in school he was never late. If he wasn’t there before the bell, he usually never ended up showing up until the next day. Hinata could breathe a little easier now. He followed Yamaguchi and took the seat next to him. As soon as the teacher walked in all the students took their seats at desks next to their friends and quieted down. Hinata sat by the window beside Yamaguchi; the seat in front of his was occupied by a girl who was in his class last year, and the seat behind him was left empty. Hinata was finally starting to feel excited about his new year at school.

At lunch however, things got a little more awkward. It turned out that Yamaguchi was actually childhood friends with Tsukishima, and Tobio happened to be in the tall blonde’s class. The four boys sat and had lunch together. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were able to strike up a conversation right away, they seemed to be catching up after they had both been too busy to hangout. Tobio was his usually grumpy looking quiet self, but Hinata was uncharacteristically quiet.

“Hey, dumbass! You’ve been pretty quiet since lunch started are you alright?” Tobio asked after finishing his milk.

“Umm… Yeah! Fine!” Hinata replied nervously.

Tobio gave him a funny look, but soon turned to leave when the bell signaled the end of lunch. That hadn’t been nearly as scary as he had been picturing. Tsukishima didn’t even look in his direction, completely immersed in his conversation with Yamaguchi and Tobio was acting like his usual self. This wasn’t so bad. Hinata thought he could manage an hour of lunch time in the presence of the two hunters. After Yamaguchi waved goodbye to Tsukishima, he and Hinata returned to class together.

* * *

Now that summer was over, university had started back up for Kuroo, Akaashi, and Konoha. The three of them didn’t work at the animal clinic while attending classes because their schedules were packed full. This would be their last year for vet tech school, and then Kuroo and Konoha would be officially done, while Akaashi would continue his education to become a specialized vet. Bokuto continued working at the clinic and had the task of training the others' replacements for the school year. They were all very busy and didn’t get to spend as much time together as they used to. Bokuto still got up early and took Misty for a run. When he got back, he would prepare breakfast for his roommates as well as Konoha who always dropped by the house so they could all go to university together. After breakfast, the three students carpooled to the university and Bokuto walked to work.

Bokuto always got home before the others so he would prepare dinner and then sit on the couch until the they all got home. Konoha usually came over for dinner as well, and after they would study together. Sometimes Bokuto would watch the busy university students study with Apple Pie in his lap, getting up to bring them snacks and drinks as they were needed; other times he would return to his room and talk to Hinata, Kyoutani, or Oikawa on the phone. The first week of university was especially busy for the students in their final year, and Bokuto tried his best to stay out of their way. This proved to be a lot harder than he had expected, it took a lot for him to stay quiet while they were studying, and he really missed spending time with his roommates, especially Akaashi. Bokuto found himself going into his slumps more often. Instead of burdening his roommates who were far too busy for his childishness, he would call up one of the other werewolves and his mood would instantly brighten. He liked talking to them about their days.

* * *

On the second day of school the seat behind Hinata was filled. A tall boy with an undercut and sandy blonde hair and soft brown eyes sat in the only open seat. He had been introduced to the class as Terushima Yuji who had just transferred from another high school nearby. When he was introducing himself to the class Hinata noticed he had a piercing on his tongue, he also noticed that the newcomer smelled like a werewolf. Hinata’s eyes lit up when the teacher pointed him towards the seat behind him. He was so excited to get to meet another werewolf that he didn't even bother to think it could be dangerous. Hinata turned around and introduced himself to the new kid but was scolded quite harshly by the teacher before the other could respond. Hinata turned around to face forward and apologized to the teacher, who said chatting and introductions could be saved for after class was over. The lesson was boring and Hinata could hardly pay attention with how excited he was to talk to the boy seated behind him.

Terushima had noticed the wolf scent the moment he entered the classroom but only found out who it belonged to after sitting down behind a short orange-haired kid with an energetic attitude. Terushima wondered if this kid was anything like the other werewolves he knew; he really hoped he wasn't. At first glance the kid seemed totally innocent, naïve, and maybe even a little stupid. The orange-haired boy had introduced himself to Terushima without so much as a hint of nervousness, which could only mean the kid was just that confident or stupid. Werewolves were dangerous and Terushima knew that for a fact. 

At lunch time Hinata was the first to approach the new student and introduced himself for the second time. Yamaguchi was quick to follow suit and join his friend in the introductions. Terushima also introduced himself to the orange-haired boy and his freckled friend. Terushima knew that Hinata would be able to tell that he was a werewolf because he had been taught about a werewolf’s strong sense of smell and how to distinguish scents, so he assumed Hinata knew all of that as well. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about meeting a new werewolf: all of the wolves he knew weren’t very friendly and they had practically destroyed his whole life. He even transferred schools to be further away from the other wolves of his pack, so he wasn’t keen on meeting another one. However, the orange-haired boy seemed really friendly and energetic and outgoing. He had a large smile plastered on his face and he was able to laugh with his classmates and he seemed pretty close with the one human. Maybe he was different after all.

“Would you like to join us for lunch?” Yamaguchi offered.

“Yeah! You totally should! I would love to talk to you more!” Hinata added.

This was Terushima’s chance to get out of it if he wanted to; He could just apologize and say he was busy and leave, but he had a feeling Hinata would come find him later. “Umm…Sure.” Terushima said.

“Great!” Hinata exclaimed dragging him off to some benches outside.

There were two other boys at the benches where they went to sit. Terushima sniffed the air; they were humans. Yamaguchi greeted Tsukishima and Tobio, and then he proceeded to sit across from the tall blonde with glasses. They immediately got into conversation ignoring everyone else around them. Hinata sat beside Yamaguchi across from Tobio and ushered Terushima to sit beside him.

“Hey, Hinata you feeling any better today?” Tobio asked from across the table.

“Umm… yes, totally fine!” Hinata tried to sound normal but avoided eye contact with the raven-haired boy.

“Ah! Terushima I’m sorry I forgot to introduce you! The guy with glasses is Tsukishima Kei, he and Yamaguchi are childhood friends they pretty much ignore everyone except for each other at lunch time. And this is Sawamura Tobio.” Hinata explained.

“Hey.” Tobio nodded towards Terushima. “So, dumbass we should do some homework together after school.”

“Ah sorry I can’t.” Hinata replied running his hands through his hair nervously.

“Why not?” Tobio asked.

Hinata panicked looking for any excuse to use to not have to spend time with his former best friend. Before he knew it, the words were spilling out of his mouth. “Actually, I already promised to do my homework with Terushima.”

Terushima looked over at the short boy surprised: they hadn’t made any plans like that. It was obvious that Hinata was just trying to get out of spending time with the other guy. He had been acting kind of strange since the other two joined them for lunch. Then again Terushima couldn’t really judge what was normal for Hinata having only known him a day. Then Tobio’s glaring eyes looked over to settle on Terushima, the boy suddenly found himself backing Hinata’s claim.

“Umm… Yeah sorry. We already made plans.”

Hinata looked over to Terushima with a shocked expression, it soon changed to a grateful smile and it made Terushima glad he did it. He made a note to himself to ask Hinata what that was all about later. The bell rang and everyone returned to their classes. The rest of the day passed by quickly. Hinata waved goodbye to Yamaguchi and made his way over to say bye to Terushima. He was just about to leave when his new friend called out to him.

“Hey, I thought we were doing our homework together?”

“Uh, I mean, I kind of just said that in the spur of the moment. I just assumed you were being nice when you backed me up.”

“Well I was, but what is he going to say if he sees you going home alone?” Terushima asked with a smirk.

“I already finished my assignments in class but if you want to hangout then I’d be happy to have you over!”

“What a coincidence mine are also finished.” Terushima said running to catch up with Hinata.

The two high school boys walked side by side to Hinata’s home. The orange-haired boy called into the house to announce himself and his friend to his parents. His mom welcomed them from the kitchen. As the two boys walked in the door a small girl with brown curly hair ran to them at full speed nearly knocking Hinata to the ground when she jumped to hug him.

“Natsu! Warn me next time.” Hinata said smiling down at the little girl.

“Ah! That’s not Tobio!” Natsu shrieked pointing at the boy standing next to Hinata.

“No, it’s not. I have other friends you know! Natsu this is Terushima, he just transferred to my high school. Teru this is my little sister Natsu.”

Terushima bent down to be at eye level with the little girl. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Natsu gave him a confident nod before returning to the kitchen to help their mom finish cooking. Hinata greeted his mom and led Terushima up to his room on the second floor. Terushima followed the orange-haired boy to his room, and he was surprised that his mom and sister didn’t smell like werewolves at all. They were just normal humans. Maybe he was a bitten wolf just like Terushima. When they got to Hinata’s room the short boy plopped himself down on his bed motioning for Terushima to join him. Terushima took the chair from Hinata’s desk and rolled it closer to the bed; he sat down leaning his arms and head on the back of the chair and gave the energetic boy all his attention. After a long silence Terushima was the first to break it.

“So, you’re a werewolf too.” Terushima said hesitantly.

“Yes, I am! I noticed you were too the moment you walked into the classroom. It’s so cool to know another werewolf! I don’t know too many werewolves and the ones that I do know are all older than me, so I just knew I had to talk to you.” Hinata popped up into a sitting position on his bed, looking at Terushima with star filled eyes.

“Oh, so you know other werewolves. Do you belong to a pack?”

“Well I do belong to a family. But only since recently, I met another werewolf and he invited me to join him, so I accepted and now we are really good friends. There are a couple other werewolves in our family and then some humans too!”

“Friends? Humans in your pack?”

“Yeah! Why? Is that weird?”

“Ah! No, just unexpected.” Terushima laughed nervously.

“What about you? Do you have a family of your own?”

Terushima hesitated for a minute before answering. “Umm… No, it’s just me.”

“Oh really? Then you should join my family! Everybody is really nice except for Kuroo. He is always calling me shrimp and teasing me, but everyone else is so nice, especially Bokuto-san…” Hinata continued on rambling nonsense about the other members of Bokuto’s family.

Terushima finally cut him off with a question. “Hey Hinata, were you human and then turned after you were bitten by another werewolf?”

“No, I was born a werewolf.”

Terushima’s eyes lit up in surprise; that didn’t make a lot of sense considering everything he’s heard and after meeting Hinata’s parents. “Oh.”

“I guess I should probably explain. My situation is a little unusual. I was born a werewolf; I never knew my birthparents. My mom and dad adopted me when I was a baby because they didn’t think they could have kids of their own. They found out I was a werewolf after I transformed for the first time after they had me for about six months. They told me they were already in love with me and would never even think twice about giving me up. So, they kept me and took really good care of me and then mom got pregnant. They weren’t expecting it because they thought they couldn’t have children and that’s how Natsu came into the picture. Despite me being adopted and a werewolf, they loved me no matter what. I guess I was pretty lucky.”

“Wow, your parents are amazing! I don’t know many humans who would readily accept a werewolf into their home.”

“Well I know quite a few really accepting people, but I guess I also know some other not so accepting people… Anyways, what about you? If you don’t have a family, were you separated or were you bitten?”

“I was actually bitten.”

Hinata and Terushima continued their conversation for awhile longer before dinner was ready. Hinata continued to talk more about Bokuto’s family and all the members. He talked about how Bokuto was on the edge of death when Akaashi and Kuroo found him and nursed him back to health. He talked about Bokuto giving lessons to Oikawa who was also a bitten wolf and he also mentioned Oikawa’s boyfriend. He mentioned the other family of werewolves that Kyoutani came from and how he left to join Bokuto’s family. Terushima was happy to listen to all of Hinata’s stories: they were all so happy and the way he talked about the people really made it seem like they were a family. Terushima also wanted to encourage Hinata to talk about his family so that Terushima wouldn’t have to say too much about himself. He didn’t like lying to his new friend, but he also didn’t want to tell him the truth about the horrible pack that he was apart of. Terushima’s pack seemed so different in comparison to Hinata’s. Where Hinata’s pack was ruled by respect and love for one another, Terushima’s was ruled by power and fear. Before meeting Hinata, Terushima had thought all werewolves were like the ones he knew, and he hated himself for being one of them now. He always went to sleep wishing he were still human, and he always woke up scared to face his pack. Meeting Hinata gave Terushima a sliver of hope that maybe not all werewolves were bad, and he didn’t have to be either.

Hinata’s mom called the boys down for dinner. Terushima was invited to stay and he gladly accepted. Hinata’s dad had just gotten home from work and greeted them all with a smile. Terushima ate dinner with them and watched as the happy family interacted with one another; he could see where Hinata got his outrageous optimism and good attitude. His parents were everything Hinata had said: they clearly loved and accepted him despite knowing his secret that would make so many others leave him due to fear. Terushima silently wished that his life could be even half as full of love as Hinata’s was. The food was great and when they were done, the two boys returned to Hinata’s room to talk again. This time Terushima tried to bring up a new topic by asking about his friend he had refused to hangout with before. Hinata got a little more nervous and tense when the raven-haired boy was mentioned, but he explained the situation to Terushima nonetheless.

“Well you see… he was actually my best friend. We argued a lot, but honestly for the most part we got along quite well, and the arguing was just for show. But something happened and now I really don’t know what to think of him anymore.” Hinata said.

“Was it really that big of a deal that it warranted you completely ignoring him? He seemed kind of hurt when you turned him down, and then he looked really pissed at me.” Terushima said with a little snicker.

“Ah sorry about that. I didn’t mean to put you in the middle of my problems.”

“It’s alright, just tell me what happened.”

“I was out in the woods doing some training one night when I stumbled across him and a bunch of others. I was in werewolf form despite always being warned to be careful, and it just so happens the group of people were werewolf hunters. Tobio was among them and he nearly killed me. I just barely escaped with my life with the help of Bokuto-san who I put in serious danger as well as the rest of the family as a consequence. After that I just can’t see him the same way. I knew that there were people that didn’t accept werewolves and I would be okay if he was one of them because I had never planned on telling him anyways, but the fact that he is a hunter is so much different. I guess, I just saw a completely different side of him, one that was so cold and cruel ready kill someone just for being different. I just can’t face him and pretend like that never happened.” Hinata’s crying was starting to muffle some of his words as he spoke.

Terushima silently pulled the shorter into a tight hug. “It’s alright, you don’t have to pretend. I understand, I probably shouldn’t have pried so much.” He whispered into Hinata’s ear.

After Hinata calmed back down Terushima released his hold on his friend and checked his phone for the time. Oh shit! It is late, a lot later than he had thought. He had to get going now. Terushima felt bad about leaving so soon after making Hinata upset but he really had to go, or the others would kill him. Hinata insisted he was fine and that Terushima should leave if he had other places he needed to be. The orange-haired boy walked him to the door to see him off. After saying his goodbyes Terushima flew out the door in the direction of his apartment. He really hoped no one was waiting for him there, he still had Hinata’s smell all over him and he knew the others would pick up on it, and it could be a huge problem if they found out about another werewolf. Hinata’s life could be in danger or they might try and recruit him, which Terushima would argue might be worse. Terushima got to his apartment with no signs of anyone around, he slipped into his apartment and quickly locked the door. He took a nice long shower making sure to wash away all of Hinata’s scent and leave nothing but his citrus scented shampoo. After his shower Terushima quickly scurried off to meet his pack; he was very late, but it would be worth it to not show up covered in Hinata’s scent. He might even be able to play it off, as he got caught up in homework and forgot, because he hadn’t ever missed a pack gathering and he had never shown up late.

* * *

Terushima started hanging out with Hinata more and more after school. It provided Hinata with a good excuse to avoid Tobio, and Terushima didn’t mind because he had started to take a liking to his new friend. He looked forward to spending time with him even if sometimes it was just to finish up homework together. At his old school Terushima had never been particularly popular, most of the students thought of him as a delinquent because of the way he looked and because of the little pranks he pulled trying to get his father’s attention. His mother wasn’t around; he had no idea why because his dad refused to talk about it. Whether she was dead or just left them made no difference to Terushima because he had never known anything about her in the first place. His father was a very busy man: he was a successful businessman who often took trips over seas leaving Terushima behind with the butler. Success equaled wealth, and the Terushima family wasn’t short on either because of his father’s long hours of hard work. It also meant he had no time to be a parent to his son. He was rarely even home. When he was home, he hardly payed any mind to Terushima’s achievements, so Terushima started off middle school acting out and pulling pranks to get his father’s attention. If his achievements weren't enough to earn him a minute of his father's time, then maybe being a brat would. It never worked though, so he stopped just as quickly as he had started, but it didn’t stop people from already having labeled him trouble.

He did have a few close friends; they were the only people he could count on. He often stayed over at their places when he was lonely, and they helped him with school. They were his support system and the only people who cared for him. That all changed after he was bitten. He missed a week of school because he couldn’t control when he changed into a werewolf; he often changed at the most inopportune times. His friends had come to check on him and he had pushed them away saying he was fine. Finally, he went out looking for the wolf that bit him, so that he could help him control his new abilities. He would come to regret that decision, when the wolf he found offered training in return for joining their pack. Terushima didn’t think much of it at the time: he just wanted everything to go back to normal. True to his word the other wolf taught him how to control the switch and Terushima was able to return to school. However, the switch wasn’t the only thing he needed to learn how to control. His senses had also been heightened and were overwhelmed with too much stimulus. Terushima sometimes found the noise and smells to be too much so he would break out screaming for relief, run away, or lose his mind running around blind for a few minutes.

His friends were desperately worried about him, but he kept pushing them away and finally they stopped coming. After he got his senses under control with the help of the other wolf it was already too late. His friends were sick of his behaviour and wanted nothing more to do with him, everyone else around him started saying he was crazy and pretty soon the rumours and judgements spread throughout the whole school. It even followed him to high school, not a single person didn’t know who he was. They called him crazy, were horribly rude and cruel to him, and the only thing he had to blame was the one who turned him into this monster. He accused the other wolf of ruining his life and destroying everything he worked so hard to achieve, but the wolf simply laughed at him and said that he should be thankful that he taught him how to control his new abilities in the first place. The argument ended with Terushima getting severely punished for speaking out against the older wolf. After that he spent more time among the other werewolves and less at school, but he soon came to realize that the wolves were far crueler than the humans ever could be. The humans were the main reason why Terushima decided to transfer schools, but he was also hoping maybe the other wolves wouldn't follow him if he moved. Of course, he had no such luck.

One day after school instead of going back to Hinata’s house like they normally did Hinata brought him to a little café. The orange-haired boy told him that this was where he and Yamaguchi worked during the summer and that he really enjoyed the atmosphere there. After ordering some drinks two others joined them at the table. Terushima looked up to see a tall muscled man with two-toned hair and brilliant golden eyes standing behind Hinata. His hair was a lovely white adorned with black streaks and he wore an uplifting smile that spread the entire width of his face. Beside him stood and angry looking man with sandy colored hair with two black stripes running down either side. Terushima took in the other two’s scents and realized they were werewolves; they probably smelled the other two and came over to chat. Terushima tensed and Hinata still unaware of the others presence looked behind him to catch a glimpse of whatever Terushima was staring at. Hinata’s eyes met golden ones and the kid shot out of his chair like a rocket.

“Bokuto-san!” Hinata screeched.

“Hey, hey, hey! Sho, what you are doing here?”

“I’m here with my new friend from school, Terushima.” Hinata replied excitedly.

“Nice, Kyoutani and I just thought we should get together and get a drink. Mind if we join you?” Bokuto was already pulling up a chair before waiting for a response

“Yes! Of course!” Hinata cried.

Terushima looked between the loud boisterous man and his friend expecting some kind of introduction that didn’t come. He recognized the names Bokuto and Kyoutani from some of Hinata’s stories, and by the way the orange-haired boy acted around them confirmed it. They weren’t a threat to Terushima, and they were part of Hinata’s pack.

“Hello there, I’m Terushima Yuji.” Terushima interrupted the others to introduce himself since Hinata clearly forgot all about him the moment he laid his eyes on the man with golden eyes.

“Ah! Hey there, I’m Bokuto Koutarou and this is Kyoutani. It’s nice to see our little Shouyou making new friends.” Bokuto said fluffing Hinata’s hair.

“Sorry Teru, I forgot to introduce you.” Hinata finally took notice of Terushima for the first time since the arrival of the other two.

“It’s fine Hina. I’ve heard a lot about you Bokuto-san. Hinata has told me all about how you taught him how to use his senses, welcomed him into your group, and even saved him from hunters. That’s all very impressive.” Terushima said with a sly smirk trying to provoke the other by acting condescending.

“Hinata you little shit! Don’t go spilling secrets to complete strangers!” Kyoutani scolded the boy harshly.

“I’m sorry Kyoutani-san, but he isn’t a stranger he is one of us.”

“I know that idiot! I have a nose too. It probably works better than yours! It took you way to long to notice us, you should be keeping your senses alert at all times, this is why you got into that situation before.” Kyoutani’s voice was a harsh growl as he scolded the younger, but Hinata knew him well enough by now to know he didn’t mean to be harsh.

“Sorry, I’ll make sure to try harder next time.” Hinata stated boldly before flashing a sweet grin.

“And you…” Kyoutani swung his head around to face Terushima who visibly flinched away. “Mind your manners! You should be more respectful to your elders, and if you plan to challenge him you better watch yourself, he could crush you in an instant little pup.”

“Alright that’s enough Kyoutani, we wouldn’t want to scare Sho’s friend. Anyways, Kyoutani does have a point though. Sho just because someone is a werewolf doesn’t automatically make them your ally. Some werewolves are far more dangerous and cruel than even hunters.” Bokuto said to Hinata through a stern even tone.

“Sorry Bokuto-san, I’ll remember that.” Hinata said practically hanging on every word Bokuto said.

“But I also trust your judgement, so if you say he is a friend I have no problems with him, but please just be careful next time I wouldn’t want a repeat of last time.”

“Of course, Bokuto-san I’ll be careful!”

“Well then see you around Sho, Terushima” Bokuto waved goodbye and left with Kyoutani at his side.

Terushima was oddly surprised by the two men he had just met. Bokuto had seemed the type to get riled up easily and Terushima thought he might be able to get a rise out of him. For some reason (Probably because of the current pack he was in) Terushima had immediately scrambled for dominance over the other werewolf. But he had been put in his place by Kyoutani who had won that dominance match and then there was Bokuto who hadn’t even participated but somehow managed to come out on top. He was kind and charming, he had good looks and was a natural born leader. He hadn’t even felt threatened by Terushima struggling and failing to assert dominance over him even though they had just met. At first Terushima thought it would make him uncomfortable and remind him of the others in his current pack, but instead it put him at ease. It was like there was a clear spot for Terushima to fit into and he didn’t need to fight for it. Bokuto made him feel strangely relaxed and made him want to follow the older wolf. That’s probably what Hinata felt and tried to convey to him through all his stories.

“Hey Teru, you know you didn’t have to be rude to Bokuto-san. I told you he was very accepting and kind, but I understand that you were a little nervous so I will let it slide this time.” Hinata’s tone went from dead serious for his first sentence to a lighthearted teasing one for the second.

“Shut up.” Terushima said lightly tapping the other over the back of the head causing him to laugh. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the fourteenth chapter:
> 
> \- After the incident where Hinata was found by the hunters and Bokuto had to save him, the short boy hasn't left Bokuto's side at all. He stays with Bokuto, Akaashi, and Kuroo for the remaining weeks of summer until his parents get back from their trip.  
> \- Hinata was nervous about starting school because he would have to face Tobio and Tsukishima. Luckily, Hinata and Yamaguchi are in the same class, so he has someone to hang out with. Then he meets Terushima who is also a werewolf and the new transfer student. They become quick friends.  
> \- Terushima is part of a dangerous pack of werewolves, and he is lying to Hinata about it. He transferred to Hinata's school after being turned into a werewolf causing him problems with his peers.  
> \- Akaashi, Kuroo, and Konoha are back in their last year of university, and Bokuto is stuck at the clinic training their replacements. They are all busy and don't have as much time together as they would like.  
> \- Kyoutani chose to leave his family and join Bokuto's instead.


	15. A Pack Is Nothing but Trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Blood, Violence  
> This chapter contains scenes of violence between wolves and descriptions of blood and bloody scenes. If you wish to skip this part of the story stop reading on the paragraph that starts out like 'On the other side of the bushes...' and pick it back up after the line on the paragraph that starts out like 'Kyoutani had sprinted all the way...'.
> 
> If you do skip this part of the story you can read the notes at the end of this chapter. They will highlight all of the important points covered in this chapter, so you still get all the information needed to understand what is going on.

After a week of hanging out with Hinata and constantly being late to his pack meetings due to the extra long showers he was taking, the pack had finally had enough. When Terushima returned to his pack that evening he was late again for about the fifth time that week. When he arrived, he found the whole pack waiting on him, Ushijima had a more menacing aura than usual and his right hand Tendou appeared to be in a rather good mood. Those were not good signs for Terushima. As he approached the alpha, Sakusa wouldn’t even look him in the eye and the others were staring intently at him. This was an even worse sign. Terushima cautiously greeted his fellow pack members and his greeting wasn’t returned; they just simply stood and stared. Terushima approached and bowed to the alpha in apology.

“I’m sorry I was so late again.” Terushima said squeezing his eyes shut tightly while he bowed.

“Where have you been running off to lately?” Tendou asked with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“I have just had a lot of homework lately; this school is a little more advanced than my last one and with me having always cut class last year I need the extra time to catch up.” Good Terushima thought, that was a decent excuse.

“Hmmm… and if I were to say I don’t believe you, what would you do then?” Tendou asked with a smirk on his face.

Terushima lifted his head to face the red-haired man, he looked him directly in the eyes, and without wavering despite the fact that he was scared shitless he replied. “Well I’m not lying to you, if that’s what you think.”

“Ohohoho! You’re pretty good little Yuji. If I didn’t know any better, I would have believed you. When did you get to be such a good liar?” Tendou said with amusement filling his voice.

Terushima couldn’t tell if he was bluffing or not, but it was too late to take back his words now. “Believe what you want!” He spat.

Tendou was about to give another reply when he noticed Ushijima advancing out of the corner of his eye. The spiky red-haired man stepped back and allowed their alpha to pass. Ushijima was quiet and didn’t usually say much, but he was strong, cold, heartless, and you could never tell what he was thinking and that made him a dangerous enemy. He walked up to Terushima without a step’s hesitation or a single word uttered. His stride was big and confident taking practically no time at all to close the distance. Terushima took a couple steps back before he was pinned to a tree. Ushijima’s hand was raised and the next thing he knew he had been slapped across the face with a lot of force. Terushima scurried around the big man in front of him and took on his wolf form. He was a lovely sandy colored wolf with soft brown eyes. The tip of his tail and ears matched the color of his eyes. In an instant Ushijima followed suit taking on his wolf form and becoming what appeared to be an extra-extra-large German Shepard except with dark brown fur rather than the usual beige color. He was massive even for a wolf, all muscle and Terushima stood no chance. In an instant the alpha had the smaller sandy wolf pinned beneath him, teeth snapping for his throat. Terushima did all he could to writhe around beneath the larger wolf and doge those snapping teeth. He managed to save his throat, but Ushijima’s teeth still connected with skin, biting down hard on the side of Terushima’s neck. The younger wolf cried out in pain, his eyes desperately searching the other members of the pack for help. Everyone just stood and watched while Ushijima continued to take out chunks of fur and leave blood streaking Terushima’s soft fur. The only exception was Sakusa who just avoided his gaze.

“Please! Please! Please! Please… I promise I won’t ever lie to you again. Please just stop.” Terushima begged.

“If I ever hear about you hanging around that other werewolf again, next time you will be dead.” Ushijima threatened backing off to allow the other to stand up.

Terushima bolted out from underneath the other wolf and stood shaking with his head lowered and his tail between his legs as he faced his alpha. “Of course, Ushijima-san.”

* * *

The next day at school Terushima tried his best to avoid Hinata without raising concern but failed miserably. Hinata had already spotted the bandage Terushima used to cover up the nasty bite mark on the side of his neck. The orange-haired boy bounded over to his friend and asked him what happened; Terushima brushed it off saying he just got into a fight with students from another school. Hinata took that as a satisfactory explanation, but as the day went on and Terushima continued to avoid him he began to suspect he wasn’t getting the whole truth. At lunch time Hinata excused himself and Terushima from sitting with the others which got him an annoyed response from Tobio complaining about how they never hangout anymore. Hinata ignored the raven-haired boy and dragged Terushima off to the rooftop where they could be alone.

“Alright seriously what is going on with you? You come to school with bruises up your arms, a large bandage on the side of your neck, and a cut on your bottom lip. You said you got into a fight with other students, but if that’s all it was why are you acting so weird and avoiding me?” Hinata asked.

“I-I I don’t want to get you involved. I don’t want you to get hurt.” Terushima’s voice was barely louder than a whisper and he couldn’t meet Hinata’s gaze.

“What is that supposed to mean? What would I be involved in and why would I get hurt?”

“Because…” Terushima trailed off.

“Because what?” Hinata pressed.

“Because my pack told me they would kill me if I hung out with you anymore, and I’m afraid they might hurt you too.” Terushima burst out.

“Your pack? I thought you said it was just you.”

“I lied. The wolf who bit me forced me to join his pack in exchange for teaching me how to control my new abilities. I couldn’t decline him because I was really struggling to adapt to the changes. Once I joined, I realized how evil he and the pack leader were. The alpha rules over the pack using fear and power, and if anybody disobeys him there are severe consequences. This was my consequence for associating with the enemy.” Terushima motioned to his neck and bruises. 

“What? That’s horrible, why would anybody want to hurt a member of their family?”

“Because we aren’t a family! We aren’t close! We don’t get along! And being with them is miserable! We are a pack of wolves that came together for survival and now we are too afraid to leave!” Terushima was yelling now.

“I-I-I’m sorry Teru. I didn’t mean to upset you, but that is no way to live. You can’t keep going on like that.”

“Then what do you expect I should do?”

“After school today we are going to confront your pack. We will tell them you are leaving and not coming back. After that you can join my family, Bokuto and the others would happily welcome you.”

“That is a really bad idea Hina. My alpha isn’t someone to be messed with, none of them are. We could both be killed.”

“I don’t care! We are going to do it and we are going to get you out of there once and for all.” Hinata declared confidently.

Hinata’s shinning confidence and bubbly personality captivated Terushima. It gave him hope in his otherwise bleak miserable life. He really didn’t want to let go of the only good thing in his life, and he also wanted out of that pack. Hinata was his first friend after being turned into a werewolf, and he really didn't want to lose that. He found himself believing in Hinata’s words probably much more so than he should have. He closed his eyes to the dangers and followed along blinded but Hinata’s brilliant light.

“Okay, fine.” Terushima muttered with a small smile on his face.

After school that day Terushima led Hinata to the spot where he always meets his pack. When they arrived surprisingly everyone was already there except for Ushijima. Hinata and Terushima hid in some bushes a distance away to observe the others.

“So, which one is the alpha?” Hinata asked.

“He isn’t there right now.” Terushima answered him.

“Teru, that’s perfect! Let’s confront them now while he’s not there. You said he was the one to watch out for, what better chance would we have than right now while he’s not here?”

“Okay…” Terushima agreed hesitantly.

“Oh, little Yuji! You know we can smell you and your little friend there.” Tendou called turning into wolf form.

Hinata and Terushima emerged from the bushes in wolf form, and the others with Tendou did the same. The tall and slim reddish-brown wolf stepped forward to meet the two smaller wolves. He was backed up by a gray wolf, a yellowish wolf and a cream-colored wolf.

“To what do we owe this pleasure little Yuji?” The reddish wolf hissed.

Hinata stepped forward with stupid confidence. “Teru is here to announce that he is leaving your pack!” The little orange wolf declared.

“Ah, is that right?” Tendou asked in a playful tone, amusement lighting up his eyes.

Terushima stepped forward to be next to Hinata. “Yes! I’m leaving and I’m not coming back!”

“I mean you can try but good luck leaving here with your lives.” Tendou parted his jaws to display his sharp teeth.

The four older wolves slowly started moving forward, heads low and threatening. They had their teeth bared and were snarling, ready to attack at any moment. That’s when Hinata realized he really hadn’t thought this through. He was just so desperate to get Terushima out of his current situation that he didn’t even think about how the others would react. Once again, he had gotten himself into trouble despite Bokuto's warnings. The little orange wolf and the sand colored wolf next to him slowly started backing away. The others’ snarls and growls grew louder and right before they were about to attack Hinata called for back up. At this point it was the only thing they could do, if they started running surely the larger, older wolves would catch up in no time. A loud howl rang out across the forest, not nearly as loud as he had wanted it to be, but hopefully still able to reach Bokuto wherever he was. Tendou stopped his advance to stare down at Hinata.

“Calling for help already? We haven’t even done anything yet.”

In the next few moments two wolves came darting through the bushes from the same direction Hinata and Terushima had come from. One a large muscled white wolf and the other a shorter lean sandy colored one with a dark brown underside. The two newcomers immediately placed themselves between the younger wolves and the other four.

“Ah! What do we have here?” Tendou asked eyes narrowing with hatred.

“I apologize for my little apprentice. He hasn’t quite grasped the concept of manners.” Bokuto replied with a sharp tone. “I’ll be taking him and his little friend with us.”

“I don’t think so. Little Yuji belongs to us.” Tendou growled baring his teeth.

“A wolf is not bound to a certain family or pack. They have the freedom to leave whenever they want.” Kyoutani spat from Bokuto’s side.

“Tendou, let them go. I believe the white one is an alpha. We have no chance without Ushijima here.” A black wavy-haired man called from where he stood a distance behind the wolves.

“You’re no fun Sakusa, but very well I will heed your warning for now.” Tendou led the other wolves to join Sakusa and they disappeared into the forest.

Bokuto let out a sigh of relief and whipped around to face the two young wolves. There was something in his eyes that Hinata didn’t recognize. Bokuto and Kyoutani led the younger wolves back to his place through the forest to avoid any people. When they arrived at Bokuto’s place everyone was given a set of clothes and changed into them. Bokuto had already thanked and said his goodbyes to Kyoutani who left him to deal with the brats. Bokuto was waiting on the couch for Hinata and Terushima to come join him. Terushima took the chair as far away from the alpha as possible and Hinata sat right next to him.

“I’m sorry Bokuto-san we weren’t really thinking…” Hinata started only to be cut off by Bokuto.

“That’s enough.” Bokuto’s voice was low and a lot scarier than Hinata remembered. “I thought once would have been enough for you to learn. What you both did was stupid and dangerous!” Bokuto’s voice picked up into a yell and he was angry.

Hinata had never seen Bokuto angry before, especially not directed at him. “I’m sorry I was just trying to help my friend.”

“Do you have any idea what could have happened if I wasn’t nearby? Do you? Let me tell you Hinata! You could have been killed! How do you think that would have helped your friend! Why didn’t you come talk to me beforehand? I would have helped you. I would do anything to help you. But instead you went off on your own and did something so reckless.”

“Ummm… Bokuto-san please don’t blame Hinata, I should have never gotten him involved.” Terushima said voice trembling slightly.

“I don’t even want to hear it from you! You are just much at fault as Hinata! You could have tried to stop him. Whatever, I just can’t with you two right now. I have to make dinner for Akaashi and Kuroo who will be getting home soon. Go to my room and stay there! You will both be sleeping here for the night no questions asked!” With that Bokuto stormed off into the kitchen.

Hinata was left speechless. Bokuto had never yelled at him before, even when he got himself into that mess with the hunters, he had never once yelled. Terushima stood up and led his shocked friend by the hand towards a random room. Hinata snapped out of his shocked state to mention that Bokuto’s room was out back in the old garage. The two boys made their way out the back door and to Bokuto’s room. Hinata curled up in the bed under the covers as tears streamed down his face. Terushima sat on the edge of the bed and watched his friend cry. It was his fault Hinata got in trouble with his leader, and he felt even more guilty because Bokuto was right. He could have stopped Hinata from going there, if only he could have ignored Hinata like Ushijima told him to. An hour later there was a soft knock on the door and a smooth soothing voice announced their entrance.

“Hinata-kun, Bokuto-san told me what happened. Are you alright?” The man walked over to sit on the opposite side of the bed as Terushima.

“Akaashi-san. Bokuto-san is really mad at me, I seriously messed up this time. What if he never forgives me?” Hinata sniffled through his tears as he popped out of the covers and pulled the ebony-haired man into a hug.

Akaashi rubbed soothing circles into Hinata’s back. “It’s alright Hinata-kun, Bokuto-san isn’t mad anymore, and he feels really bad for yelling at you both.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Do you know why what you did upset Bokuto-san so much?”

“Because I was stupid and didn’t listen to him.”

“No, he was upset because he was really afraid, he was going to lose you. You already know he has lost his whole family, and he promised to do everything in his power to protect his new one. He is just frustrated with himself that no matter what he does, he feels he can’t keep you safe.”

“Ah! I never really thought of that. Thank you, Akaashi-san. I promise I will stop being so reckless. I really don’t want to die, and I really don’t want to see Bokuto-san sad.”

“Me neither.” Akaashi said softly before looking up at Terushima. “You must be Terushima-kun, I’m Akaashi and I apologize for Bokuto-san’s outburst he isn’t usually like that. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you need, and don’t take his anger to mean you are unwanted. Bokuto-san would happily welcome you into our family if you wanted it.”

After saying his piece Akaashi got up and left the two boys, returning to the living room where Konoha and Kuroo were studying. Kuroo looked up upon his entrance and asked how it went. Akaashi told him that the boys would be fine after some rest. He then excused himself to the kitchen where Bokuto was pouting about his outburst. Akaashi comforted him and told him that Hinata understood he only said those things because he cared. Bokuto leaned his head into Akaashi’s chest and stood there for a moment breathing in his scent. It was so calming and never failed to put Bokuto at ease. Akaashi wrapped his arms around Bokuto’s back and held him close.

"I promise, they aren't upset with you Bokuto-san." Akaashi whispered.

* * *

After the first two weeks of university things started to settle into a good rhythm. Akaashi, Kuroo, and Konoha finally had some time to relax, so they decided to get together with all their friends over the weekend. The three university students hadn’t had much time to spend with anyone besides each other while studying. Bokuto missed his roommates, and none of them had seen Oikawa or Iwaizumi since they started their new lives. Oikawa got into med school like he wanted, and Iwaizumi decided to work at Suga’s café until a better opportunity came up. Hinata and Terushima had a little bit of a difficult time lately but were finally getting used to school again. They all needed a break and this weekend they planned a get together at Akaashi, Kuroo, and Bokuto’s place. Bokuto offered to cook for everybody, and the others were all looking forward to it.

Having enough time for the first time in awhile Kuroo decided he needed to talk to Bokuto alone. Akaashi was sitting around the house reading a book, so Kuroo used the gathering as an opportunity to get rid of him.

“Hey, Akaashi do you think you could go pick up some groceries for tonight?”

Akaashi looked up from his book unimpressed by being disturbed. “Why can’t you?”

“Actually, I’m kind of busy right now.” Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

Akaashi could see Kuroo clearly wasn’t doing anything, so he just figured Kuroo was trying to trick him into doing all the work. “I think you are quite capable of shopping for groceries yourself.”

“Akaashi, I need to speak with Bokuto about something.” Kuroo used an uncharacteristically stern and serious voice.

Kuroo’s tone caught Akaashi’s attention and he became curious about what could possibly be so serious that Kuroo needed to kick him out of the house to discuss. “Alright I guess.” Akaashi said, hesitantly putting his book down.

Akaashi got up from his place on the couch and grabbed his coat before leaving. Bokuto poked his head out of the kitchen after hearing the front door close. He glanced questioningly at the other left standing in the living room.

“Where’d Kashi go?”

“I sent him to the grocery store, we need to talk Bo.”

“About what?” Bokuto asked confused by his friend’s serious tone.

“We need to talk about you and Akaashi.”

“Oh… that… right." Bokuto let out a deep sigh. "I think you were right Kuroo. I have definitely imprinted on Akaashi.”

“No, Really!?” Kuroo said sarcastically. “What made you change your mind?”

“Well Kyoutani may have said the same thing as you when I went to check on Yaku and his family.”

“Oh, so you believed him but not me?”

“No! It just reminded me of the possibility. What really made me believe was when I ran off to help Sho when he was in trouble. I started having a panic attack, but it just felt so strange to me because I honestly hadn’t been feeling that way at all. I was relatively calm after I got Sho out of their and it came on so suddenly. I tried to calm down but no matter what I did nothing worked. Then I tried to look inside myself and see where it was coming from, and I ended up reaching out through the link and pictured Akaashi panicking looking all over the forest for me.”

“I don’t think you just pictured that Bo. That is exactly what he was doing. He was so worried about you. I could hardly calm him down.”

“I know… I just, I’m not sure what to do about it. Now that I know they aren’t my emotions I am able to control them a little better, but they are just so powerful I get swept up in it.”

“That’s why I wanted to talk with you. I really think you should tell him, at least that way he can be a little more conscious of how he’s feeling.”

“But I don’t want to burden Kashi! I don’t want him to feel bad for getting upset or angry, or sad. Those are normal things that people should be able and allowed to feel freely, I don’t want to be the reason he suffers by pushing it all down.”

Kuroo understood where Bokuto was coming from, but his friend was also neglecting himself again caring for others too much. “Bo, I really think Akaashi would want to know if he was unintentionally hurting you. More than that by trying to prevent Akaashi from suffering you will be suffering in his place.”

“I don’t mind that so much. If it helps someone else even just a little, I would be happy even if I have to suffer a little.”

“God Dammit Bokuto! NO! you need to stop thinking like that right now!” Kuroo shouted angrily. “I can’t stand how little you think of yourself. If you don’t want to take care of yourself for your sake at least do it for your friend’s sakes. Do it for me. Whether you realize it or not a lot of people have come to care for you, and by taking on all of the world’s burdens by yourself you make others worry. I’m really worried about you Bo.” Kuroo sounded defeated all of his worries pooling to the surface.

Bokuto was surrounded by the thick scent of worry. He really was making others worry; Kuroo was holding all this in for so long, and Bokuto could smell the desperation in the air. Bokuto had always thought he was never hurting anyone but himself and he was fine with that, but knowing he was hurting others he just couldn’t stand for that. He wanted to protect them with all his might, not cause them more pain and suffering. A determined glint lit up Bokuto’s golden eyes.

“Okay, I’ll tell him! I’ll tell him, and we can figure it all out together.”

Kuroo gave the other a soft smile. That was more like it; his overzealous, confident, sometimes cocky friend! Bokuto’s confidence faded right before Kuroo’s eyes as the brawny idiot fell to his knees grasping his throat. Bokuto felt like he couldn’t breathe, something was stopping him from taking in normal breaths. A large lump in his throat formed as he tried gasping for air. Kuroo was on his knees beside his friend in a flash.

“Bo what’s wrong? Bo talk to me.”

“A-A-akaashi…”

Bokuto’s head was spinning, and he felt like he was going to pass out. He had panic attacks because of the rush of Akaashi’s intense emotions, but this was nothing like those other ones. This feeling was overwhelming fear. Akaashi was terrified for some reason. What was happening to Akaashi? Kuroo looked up at the clock, realizing how much time had passed his eyes widened. Akaashi should have been back from the grocery store a long time ago. Their guests would be arriving soon. How did Kuroo not notice how much time had passed while he and Bokuto were talking. Bokuto took a huge deep breath swallowing the lump in his throat and pushing back all the fear he was feeling. He calmed his mind and steeled his determination. Now was not the time to be overwhelmed by the other’s emotions. Akaashi was in trouble and he needed to do something quick. Before it was too late.

“Tetsurou! Wait for the others, and then bring them as back up. I have to go find Akaashi.”

“Bo, wait please don’t go running off again like last time!”

“It won’t be like last time! We have more allies on our side now. Oikawa, Hinata, Terushima, and Kyoutani can track my scent. It might take them a little longer but with the four of them working together I know you will find us in time. I have to go now.” Bokuto gave Kuroo a large warm smile.

Bokuto took off out the door before Kuroo had time to protest anymore. Shit! Shit! Shit! Fuck! What is going on? Kuroo had never seen Bokuto so frightened before; therefore, whatever trouble Akaashi was in, it had to be bad. Kuroo paced back and forth waiting at the front door for any signs of the others. They were all probably already on their way so there was no use calling them to hurry up. Kuroo needed to pull himself together before the others got there, but his mind was reeling and all he could think about was how his best friends in the whole world were in danger. Serious danger. Probably even worse than the time with Hinata. What could be worse than the time with Hinata? Kuroo ran his hands through his messy black locks tugging in frustration as he continued his pacing. Finally, footsteps walking up onto the front porch. Kuroo swung the door open wide before anyone could even knock. Terushima, and Kyoutani entered the house cautiously and Hinata followed them in totally oblivious to Kuroo’s condition.

“I’m totally going to kick your ass at board games tonight!” Hinata shouted enthusiastically at Kuroo, throwing a light punch into his arm.

Hinata waited for a snarky comeback, something about him being a shrimp or too small to win. Then Hinata would respond with ‘height and size have nothing to do with board games’. Then Kuroo would insult his intelligence instead, but when no response came from the usually playful teasing man Hinata became concerned. Terushima and Kyoutani had already noticed Kuroo’s strange demeanor before even having walked in. Terushima put a hand on Hinata’s shoulder to prevent him from saying anything else.

“You smell like a heap of anxiety.” Kyoutani growled.

“Umm… where’s Bokuto and Akaashi-san?” Hinata questioned after having scanned the room and come up empty.

Kuroo tensed at the question and finally managed to look up at his guests. Everyone having forgot Kyoutani’s comment and now focusing on Kuroo who was clearly having some sort of breakdown. More footsteps! Kuroo ignored Hinata’s question and opened up the door again to reveal a very surprised Iwaizumi, Oikawa, and Suga. Konoha had just pulled up and was running over to join them. They all scuttled inside to join the other guests who had already arrived. Everyone was silent noticing the complete shift in mood and atmosphere. Kuroo who was usually calm under pressure was messing around with his hair and pacing back and forth trying to think of what should be said first. What should he do? What should he do? The silence was cut off by Hinata who repeated his question, this time with more of a worried tone than curious.

“Where is Bokuto-san and Akaashi-san?”

Everyone who had just arrived looked up and around as if to confirm the two being mentioned weren’t around. Oikawa sniffed the air noticing a lingering scent but no trace of the two in the house.

“I can’t smell them.” Oikawa said.

Kuroo shot his head up startling everyone around him gaining their attention. “Right smell! Of course, Bo mentioned that! Hahaha how stupid could I be!”

“Umm… Kuroo I think you need to calm down and explain what’s going on.” Iwaizumi stated.

“Calm down! I don’t need to calm down! You need to Fucking calm down!” Kuroo shouted back.

“Alright that’s enough! Kuroo-kun what happened?” Suga’s voice was soothing and cut through Kuroo’s anxiety just enough for him to respond.

Kuroo took a deep breath to compose himself. “Akaashi is in really serious trouble and Bokuto went after him. He needs us to track his scent and provide back up. I don’t know what’s going on, but it sounds really serious.”

Everyone’s eyes opened wide in astonishment. For a moment nobody moved a muscle, glued to the spot. And then there was a whole mess of panicked humans and werewolves. Suga got everyone’s attention organizing everyone into little groups.

“How do you know Akaashi’s in trouble?” Hinata asked innocently.

Having a pretty good idea of what happened now Kyoutani spoke up. “I’ll explain later right now everyone needs to focus! I am going to go get more back up in case it is really bad. The rest of you, do everything you can until I get there.” Kyoutani said before dashing out the door.

“Alright! Oikawa, Hinata, Terushima you guys need to track Bokuto’s smell. Kuroo and Iwaizumi you follow after them. I need to run out to my car and grab my first aid kit just in case, then I will catch up with the rest of you. Konoha come with me and don’t leave my side. Everyone make sure you watch Kuroo. Let’s go!” Suga issued out orders like he had seen his husband do many times before, except this time they would be carrying out a rescue mission not a slaughter.

* * *

Bokuto didn’t have enough time to track Akaashi through his sense of smell. His nose was good, but it would still take longer, and every moment was precious. Akaashi’s life could be on the line and Bokuto needed every second he could get, plus he had a more efficient way of tracking him. Bokuto closed his eyes and cleared his mind as he ran, he focused all his thoughts on Akaashi and reached out through the bond they shared. Got him! Bokuto’s brilliant golden eyes shot open; he had locked on to Akaashi’s location. Bokuto picked up his speed transitioning flawlessly into a stunning white wolf without any wasted effort. He could run much faster in this form, and he might need to be prepared to fight when he got there depending on the situation. Bokuto picked up his speed kicking up dust and leaves under his paws as he weaved in and out of the trees through the forest towards his target. His mind never not focusing on Akaashi’s location. As Bokuto approached the location where he believed Akaashi to be, he could hear cries of pain. That was definitely Akaashi’s voice and he sounded so scared. Bokuto’s eyes narrowed as he crashed through a row of bushes not bothering to go around.

On the other side of the bushes he was greeted with a horrific sight. Four wolves were attacking a helpless Akaashi who was laying on the ground struggling and crying out in pain. A cream-colored wolf with dark brown extremities looked up at Bokuto’s arrival. The wolf’s jaws were slightly parted, and his teeth were dripping with blood; blood stained the cream light colored fur of his face and dripped from his nose. Bokuto’s nose was hit with the pungent scent of Akaashi’s blood, and his heart dropped into his stomach when his eyes spotted the now motionless body of Akaashi in a pool of red liquid. His ears weren’t being ripped apart by screams of pain anymore. Bokuto darted forward managing to push the surprised attackers back. Bokuto was staring down the wolves he saw when he rescued Hinata and Terushima from being torn to shreds. Bokuto’s eyes flashed with anger and he pulled his lip back into a snarl. The cream wolf covered in Akaashi’s blood stumbled to the ground when Bokuto bulldozed his way between Akaashi and the other wolves. A yellowish wolf with gray eyes and a gray wolf with the same gray eyes stepped in front of their fallen comrade to protect him from any further attacks by the white wolf.

A reddish-brown wolf with eyes to match his coat was the first to step forward and break the stare down. Bokuto lunged forward, muzzle outstretched and teeth snapping at anything that dared to come any closer. The red wolf jumped back dodging Bokuto’s teeth at the last minute. Bokuto slowly moved back, careful not to step on his immobile friend until he was standing over top of Akaashi. Bokuto lowered himself to the ground in a sturdy protective stance over the man laying underneath him. A low threatening growl escaped his throat as a warning for the others not to approach him carelessly. Akaashi suddenly squirmed around underneath of him taking Bokuto by surprise.

“B-Bokuto-san.” Akaashi’s voice was weak and barely a whisper as he reached a hand out to grab the wolf’s fur.

Bokuto looked down at Akaashi who had now fallen unconscious and let a small wave of relief wash over him. At least he was still alive. For now at least, but his wounds were serious and he was losing a lot of blood. While Bokuto was distracted for that single second, the yellow and gray wolves with the same eyes barreled towards him at the same time matching each other step for step. Bokuto realized the advance just in time for him to widen his stance enough to hold his ground as the two wolves crash into him. Bokuto whipped his head around to the side picking up the yellow wolf by the scruff and tossing him into the red and cream wolf behind them. The gray wolf took a hold of his left ear sinking his teeth in deep. Bokuto howled in pain before shaking him off. The three wolves laying splayed out on the ground got to their feet and the gray one retreated next to his other pack members. The four wolves fanned out circling Bokuto who hadn’t moved from his position over Akaashi. The red wolf came at him head on with a low threatening growl, the cream-colored one took up the rear (probably the safest position to have), and the other two took either side of the white wolf. They approached slowly and stopped just out of Bokuto’s reach. They then began simultaneous attacks from every direction, leaving Bokuto to claw and bite whatever he could reach while also sustaining damage from whoever he couldn’t fend off.

In a flurry of snaps and flailing paws Bokuto spun around trying to get everyone to back off. As he was spinning, he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Another wolf was present but remained further back watching from a distance. This wolf was pure black with a long wavy coat, and his eyes were the same midnight color as his fur. Bokuto assumed that the black wolf would step in to help his comrades if Bokuto started to become too much for them. When the black wolf met Bokuto’s burning golden gaze and realized that the white wolf knew he was there, he dropped his gaze and turned to look away. Bokuto thought that was a strange reaction but didn’t have any time to think on the subject any longer. The other four wolves recovered quickly from Bokuto’s bone crushing bites and powerful scratches and they began darting in at him once again each nipping at one of his legs. Bokuto couldn’t afford to collapsed under the pain: Akaashi was still beneath him and he didn’t need a heavy wolf flopped on top of him. That’s when Bokuto decided to try something he hadn’t done before. As an alpha he was able to use pheromones, but up until this point he had only ever used them to calm others. Using them as a dominating force over other wolves like he was about to try usually took lots of practice which he hadn’t done. But he needed to take hold of the situation because things were getting out of hand and he wasn't sure how much longer he could endure the other wolves thrashing.

Bokuto stilled himself allowing the other wolves to get in some good bites and scratches. When his mind was focused on his task, he took a stance that made him appear bigger and more threatening than he actually was. The white wolf began to release his scent into the air lacing it with a sense of dominance and power. The other wolves took notice and ceased their attacks. One more push was all he needed. Bokuto squeezed his eyes closed and concentrated harder, he put every ounce of protectiveness he felt for Akaashi and sent it out. _**BACK OFF!!**_ His eyes were now open, and a determined glint could be seen in the golden orbs, his lip was pulled back into a snarl and a low growl dared the others to make a move. As the pheromones were picked up by the other wolves, they back off instantly. Retreating with their tails between their legs and heads low in submission. The alpha had successfully established his dominance and perfectly conveyed his intent through his pheromones. Just as Bokuto got everything under control the pack’s alpha appeared. The black and brown alpha was even bigger than him and Bokuto was now in a very bad position. The other Alpha released his own smell into the air allowing the members of his pack to be immune to Bokuto’s pheromones. This phenomenon was a way for an alpha to protect it’s own family against the pheromones of another alpha from a different family, and it was usually a good thing, but right now this other alpha was abusing his power and using their numbers to their advantage.

The four wolves began their attacks again with the red one leading them, and with a harsh glare from the alpha the black wolf that hadn’t caused any trouble joined his fellow pack members. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to fight and that’s why he was staying back. Now five against one and unable to use his pheromones Bokuto was hugely outnumbered. He fended off the attackers to the best of his abilities not allowing them to lay a claw or tooth on Akaashi but taking a lot of damage himself. Bokuto and the four wolves he had been fighting before were panting heavily growing slower and more tired in their movements. This was a really bad thing for Bokuto because he didn’t have the numbers on his side or an extra wolf who hadn’t tired himself out yet. They attacked Bokuto mercilessly, and the white wolf used all his will to stay standing and fight back.

* * *

Kyoutani had sprinted all the way over to his apartment complex. He hurriedly knocked on Yaku’s door who luckily was home. Kyoutani demanded an audience with the family, and Yaku gave his ex-family member a strange look but complied due to the desperation he heard in the others voice. Yaku gathered the others into his room. All the werewolves showed up shortly after the summons and crowded into the small room. They were all surprised to see Kyoutani, who none of them had really spoken to after he left their family to join Bokuto’s. The gathered werewolves exchanged glances and hushed whispers with each other until Yaku hushed them gaining their attention. Yaku motioned Kyoutani to step forward still not even certain himself what this was about.

“What? You come crawling back to us after not being accepted by Bokuto?” Kindaichi sneered.

Kyoutani snapped his head around to face the younger. “I am not coming back!” He roared.

“Then what is this about?” Kunimi asked.

“I-I need your help.” Kyoutani mumbled.

“What was that I couldn’t hear you?” Kindaichi taunted.

Now was not the time for Kyoutani’s pride to get in the way; his family desperately needed him. They were counting on him for this. Kyoutani clicked his tongue in annoyance and bowed slightly.

“I need your help.” Kyoutani repeated more clearly this time.

“Why would we help you?” Lev asked innocently.

Yaku cut in. “Just let him speak you guys.”

Kyoutani nodded to Yaku as thanks before explaining the situation. “Akaashi is in serious trouble and Bokuto went after him, but he needs back up. I was hoping that I could get your guys’ help.”

There was a short silence broken by Lev. “For a human? You want us to risk our lives for a human?”

“Not just a human, a member of my family. MY FAMILY! My family is in danger and I was asking my friends for help.”

“Since when are we your friends?” Kunimi asked sincerely.

“Forget it! I’ll go myself. I don’t have time to waste here on cowards who won’t even lend a hand to their friends who are in desperate need.” Kyoutani went to leave. “This is the reason I left this family.” Kyoutani called over his shoulder before running off.

After Kyoutani left the younger members of the family discussed amongst themselves how saving a single human life certainly wouldn’t be worth risking their own. That they are sure Bokuto could handle it since he was so great. Yaku didn’t move or say a word: he was still too surprised by Kyoutani’s words. When did he start associating himself with a family? When did he start using words like friends and help? When did he become so desperate to protect another life? Yaku was ready to write it off and go back to their daily lives in the comfort of their own rooms when Hanamaki spoke up for the first time since they had all gathered.

“That insanely prideful man just came in here and practically begged us for our help. He said it was a matter of his family’s safety. When has he ever felt something like that? He has never felt like he fit in with us, but now that he finally has a real family, he is about to lose it. How would we feel if one of us was in danger and we went to Bokuto and they refused us help? And we all know he wouldn’t hesitate to help us despite the risks.” Hanamaki ranted.

“What the hell are we all doing sitting here?!” Matsukawa added.

The younger members were staring at the older werewolves with surprise; although, they did have a point, they would still be risking their lives for outsiders. Kunimi and Lev got to their feet. Kindaichi joined them after a glare from his older brother. The family turned toward their leader who had remained silent in the midst of all the chaos and conflict. Yaku nodded and led the family out after Kyoutani. They were running double time to catch up with the swift sandy wolf. When they finally caught up to him Kyoutani thanked Hanamaki for his kind words that he had obviously overheard. Hanamaki and Matsukawa gave him a knowing nod.

* * *

Oikawa, Hinata, and Terushima were following Bokuto’s scent as fast as they could but being fairly new to tracking it took them a little longer than it would take a more experienced wolf. When they got closer, they picked up the scent of blood in the air. Oikawa and Hinata immediately went to speed up their pace Iwaizumi ready to follow them in the direction the pungent iron smell was coming from. They all stopped when they realized Terushima was still sniffing the air. Kuroo, Suga, and Konoha had finally caught up to the wolves and Iwaizumi who had remained a little ways ahead of them the whole way.

“What’s going on? Why are we stopped?” Kuroo asked.

Terushima turned back into his human form so that the other humans would be able to understand him when he talked. “I also smell my previous pack’s scent. They are probably the reason for this whole mess, and if we are going to face them you should probably know a little bit about them.”

“We don’t have time for this! You can tell us after! Bokuto and Akaashi could be dying over there!” Kuroo protested.

Suga placed a hand on Kuroo’s shoulder. “I think it would be wise to hear him out.”

“Okay well first of all, there is Sakusa Kiyoomi. He joined the pack after being exiled by his previous family; although, I’m not sure why. He doesn’t like violence but will fight if the alpha is there. Then there are the Miya twins Osamu and Atsumu. Apparently Atsumu followed Sakusa when he got exiled from his family. Osamu would never admit it, but he wouldn’t leave his brother to fend for himself, so he tagged along with them. The twins always fight as a team using combo attacks distracting their opponent while the other strikes. Semi Eita is a bitten wolf like me and is probably the least dangerous out of all of them, but he doesn’t have any hesitation when it comes to killing, he just lacks the skill the others have. Then there is Tendou Satori, he is super cruel and the next most dangerous after the Alpha. He came from the same family as the alpha and is practically second in charge. The alpha is Ushijima Wakatoshi. He and Tendou murdered their entire family so that Ushijima could claim the title of alpha from his father.”

“Well this doesn’t really sound like a battle we can win.” Konoha broke the silence.

“It doesn’t matter, we have to try.” Kuroo said more confident than he actually felt.

Nods came from all the others, as Terushima changed back into wolf form. The three wolves took off in the direction of the bloody scent trail. Iwaizumi a couple paces behind them carrying a large sturdy branch he picked up along the way, and Suga, Kuroo, and Konoha a couple paces behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the fifteenth chapter:
> 
> \- Terushima's pack is finally sick of Terushima showing up late all the time, especially after they found out it was because he was hanging out with Hinata. Ushijima gives Terushima a couple bruises and a bite to teach him a lesson.  
> \- Hinata finds out about Terushima's situation and insists they confront his pack and declare that he is leaving to join Bokuto's family. Bokuto and Kyoutani end up having to bail them out of the situation. Luckily, without any violence.  
> \- After two weeks of settling into school and university everyone is ready for a break, so they decide to get together and have some fun. Kuroo sends Akaashi out for groceries so he can talk to Bokuto alone. While Akaashi is out to get groceries he is attacked by Tendou, Semi, Atsumu, Osamu, and Sakusa is there but doesn't participate in the attack.  
> \- Bokuto gets the feeling Akaashi is in trouble and tells Kuroo to wait for their guests and bring them as backup while he goes after Akaashi. When everyone gets arrives the werewolves track Bokuto's scent leading the others to Bokuto. Kyoutani goes to his ex-family for help.  
> \- When Bokuto finds Akaashi he is barely conscious and covered in wounds. He tries to protect him as best as he can but he is greatly outnumbered. Finally he is able to push the attackers back by using his pheromones; however, he loses the upper hand when the pack's alpha joins them.


	16. Akaashi, I Love You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Blood, Violence, Crazy Emotions  
> This chapter contains lots of crying and crazy emotional outbursts as well as panicked actions. If you don't want to read this kind of thing, I suggest you skip the chapter. This chapter also contains scenes of bloody violence. If you don't want to read this part of the story don't start reading until the paragraph that starts out like 'Suga did his best to bandage Akaashi's wounds...'. 
> 
> If you do skip this part of the story or the whole chapter you can read the notes at the end of this chapter. They will highlight all of the important points covered in this chapter, so that you still get all the important information needed to understand what is going on.

When the back up arrived on the scene, they saw Bokuto standing protectively over an unconscious Akaashi. Bokuto’s snow white coat was covered in blood stains and his paws were soaked red from a pool of blood around Akaashi’s body. The white wolf didn’t take any notice of the others arrival because he was concentrating his whole being on protecting Akaashi who was in critical condition. The others hesitated to join the fray, stunned to the spot by the reek of blood. The forest floor was sprayed with red droplets, and every wolf fighting bore battle wounds.

Oikawa was the first to launch himself into action with Hinata and Terushima following hot on his heels. The three wolves took their places to stand next to Bokuto and help fend off the attackers. Iwaizumi joined his boyfriend’s side using the large branch he had picked up to keep the black wolf at a distance. Kuroo being helpless to defend against the wolves rushed in to help Akaashi. Kuroo reached down to pull his unconscious friend from beneath Bokuto to examine his wounds. The white wolf instinctively whipped his head around; His teeth were bared and a dangerous wild glint was present in his usually soft golden eyes. Kuroo launched himself backwards out of the way of Bokuto’s snapping jaws just before the white wolf was able to sink his teeth into Kuroo’s arm. Kuroo now sitting on his backside on the ground facing Bokuto who nearly took his arm clean off trembled in fear before the wolf. For the first time since he had met Bokuto, Kuroo was absolutely terrified looking up at the magnificently powerful wolf. Bokuto let out a low growl causing Kuroo to crawl backwards away from them unable to speak and reassure the wolf that he was an ally. Bokuto’s vision was spotty partly because of blood droplets dripping down his face and partly from blackness threatening to consume him. Through his blurry vision Bokuto was able to make out a familiar form with messy black hair retreating away from him. His growl instantly ceased, the hair on his back relaxed, and his eyes softened as he stepped off Akaashi’s body. Kuroo tentatively took that as a sign of recognition and cautiously reached out a trembling hand to collect Akaashi.

The wolves plus Iwaizumi made a protective circle around Kuroo and Akaashi. They kept Ushijima’s pack away from the humans in the middle. Kuroo was looking over Akaashi’s body trying to access his wounds but he was too scared and panicked at seeing the blood to make sense of what he was seeing. Kuroo waved Suga and Konoha to join him inside the protected circle for help. Suga and Konoha dashed in through a small opening made by Terushima to allow them through. Suga quickly began tending to Akaashi’s wounds trying to stop the bleeding as best as he could. He had pushed the frightened Kuroo out of the way and was instructing Konoha on how to hold Akaashi best so he could do his job more effectively.

“He needs to get to a hospital as soon as possible. I don’t have all of the proper supplies to treat him here. The best I can do is hold of the bleeding until we can get him to a hospital.” Suga said to the other two humans inside the circle.

A loud thunderous voice could be heard by the other werewolves over the sounds of whimpers and growls. “This is our chance! Break through their defenses and kill the humans!” Ushijima commanded his pack.

Ushijima’s pack advanced forward pushing Iwaizumi and the other four wolves back. Bokuto and his team were beginning to lose ground and it only got worse when Ushijima himself joined the fight. Just as they were starting to seriously loose ground to the advancing pack, Kyoutani led a surprise intervention followed by Yaku’s family. The newcomers charged forward ripping the attacking wolves off Bokuto and his team, also breaking apart their circle formation in the process. Iwaizumi and Oikawa fought side by side guarding each other’s backs against Tendou. Terushima and Hinata took on the twins using some combo moves of their own. Kyoutani and Yaku’s family took care of the others while also helping out the other four. Bokuto was now fighting Ushijima one on one; however, the white wolf was seriously exhausted with some serious wounds of his own. Fighting another alpha in his condition was proving to be difficult. Ushijima had the white wolf pinned down about to deliver a finishing nip to Bokuto’s throat when he glanced up and realized his pack members were getting torn apart. He couldn't say he particularly cared for the members of his pack, but he needed them if he was going to take down the hunters and other werewolves to claim Tokyo as his own. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't even notice the lithe sandy wolf barreling straight towards him. Kyoutani was able to use his speed to knock the much larger wolf off Bokuto and send him stumbling backwards. With a last growl towards Bokuto, Ushijima called for a retreat and he and his pack took off into the forest.

Suga did his best to bandage Akaashi’s wounds with the little supplies he had, but it was time to get him to a hospital. Kuroo picked up Akaashi with ease and called out to Bokuto and let him know where they were headed. The white wolf barely had the strength to get up but managed anyways and looked to Kuroo as acknowledgement. Kuroo sent one last worried glance at Bokuto who wasn’t in much better shape than Akaashi before taking off towards the nearest hospital. Kuroo sprinted through the forest with Akaashi in his arms, running full speed off adrenaline still worried about everyone he left behind, especially Bokuto. As he ran, he tried his best not jostle the unconscious man in his arms, but at this point he just needed to hurry. When Kuroo arrived at the nearest hospital that luckily wasn’t as far as he originally thought he had about five nurses rush him. They got Akaashi onto a bed and Kuroo briefly explained that his friend was attacked by a wild animal. The nurses looked at Akaashi skeptically but rushed him into surgery right away leaving Kuroo behind in the waiting room without telling him anything.

Kuroo who was now covered in Akaashi’s blood plopped down in one of the waiting room chairs and pulled out his phone. As much as he hated it, he had to call Akaashi’s parents: Even if Akaashi was an adult, they had the right to know what happened to their son. They dropped what they were doing and rushed over to the hospital to join Kuroo. When they got there, Kuroo was bombarded by worried questions from the frantic couple to which he could only respond ‘they wouldn’t tell me anything’. Akaashi’s father took a seat next to Kuroo and rubbed comforting circles over the boy’s back. His wife, however, took her worried questions to the head nurse only to be told Akaashi was in surgery and they won’t know anything until the surgery is complete. Defeated Makoto slouched into another chair on the other side of Kuroo. Both parents looked at the drained boy expectantly. He definitely owed them an explanation, but this might be hard to hear, and he was afraid of how they might react. Kuroo explained the whole situation in as much detail as he knew. He still had no idea how Akaashi ended up in the forest with the wolves in the first place, nor what happened with Bokuto before he arrived.

“What about Bokuto-kun?” Makoto asked.

Kuroo’s head drooped farther into his lap. “He wasn’t looking so hot when I left with Akaashi, but he wasn’t unconscious at least.”

Akaashi’s parents exchanged concerned glances. Akaashi’s father patted Kuroo on the back. “I think you should go home and change. Maybe check on Bokuto before coming back.” Akio suggested lightly.

Kuroo nodded his head in agreement. There wasn’t much he could do for Akaashi while he was in surgery, and he really needed to change out of this shirt. It was stained with Akaashi’s blood and the smell almost made him vomit every time his nose brushed past it. Kuroo got strange glances from people on the train as he made his way home. There was even one older lady concerned enough to ask if he was alright. Kuroo answered with a simple nod before getting off at the next stop and walking the rest of the way to his house. When he got home the house was dark and felt so cold without either of his roommates being there. Misty greeted him excitedly but stopped wagging her tail when her owner brushed past her and into his room. The Dalmatian tried comforting her owner but was promptly ignored so she returned to her bed and laid down. She sent sad glances upwards to check on Kuroo every so often. Kuroo pulled his shirt off throwing it into a corner of his room to be dealt with later. He made his way to the bathroom and took a short shower, just long enough to get rid of the stench of blood. Once he was fully dressed, he pulled out his phone to call Suga so he could meet up with the others and check on Bokuto. He hadn’t even turned it on when the phone began buzzing in his hand and Iwaizumi’s name lit up his screen.

“Hello?”

“Hey, how’s Akaashi?”

“I’m not sure. They took him into surgery as soon as I got there. I just made it home to change and was planning on coming to check on Bo before going back.”

“Umm… about that… Bokuto passed out and we are taking him to Suga’s café to treat his wounds.”

“He what?! Okay I will be right over!”

“Hold on, hold on. Bokuto is in very capable hands, I think you should return to the hospital and be there for Akaashi when he gets out of surgery.”

“Yes, I know that! But what about Bo? Who is going to be there for him?! I-I-I don’t know what to do, I’m so torn.”

“Don’t worry about Bokuto he has Suga taking care of him. Hinata, Terushima, Kyoutani, Oikawa, they are all at his side. Konoha, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa are also here. And I will be here too. I promise to look after him. Go back to the hospital Kuroo.”

“O-okay thanks Iwaizumi.”

* * *

After Kuroo took off with Akaashi in his arms Bokuto finally let the darkness consume him knowing Akaashi would be safe with Kuroo. Bokuto’s eyes slowly slid closed turning his blurry, bloody vision to darkness and he dropped to the ground. In an instant the white wolf was surrounded by his friends and family. Suga pushed past all the wolves to get to Bokuto’s unconscious form slumped on the ground. The wolves quickly cleared the path for the silver-haired man. He looked over the white wolf’s body noticing multiple wounds, some more serious than others, and a couple still soaking his fur in blood. Suga had used all of his available medical supplies on Akaashi trying to stop his seriously bleeding gashes. Suga shot a worried glance to Iwaizumi who took the hint that they needed to get him somewhere Suga could treat him. Iwaizumi designated his boyfriend to be in charge of the other wolves while he looked for something they could use to carry Bokuto back to the café.

Iwaizumi headed out in the direction of the city. He entered the first store he came across that just so happened to be a department store. Iwaizumi looked around for anything they could use to get Bokuto to the café. His body was far too heavy to carry, especially in wolf form, they would have to put him on something and drag him back. Iwaizumi came across a large tarp and quickly grabbed it. the wolves would be able to pull the tarp around if they all worked together. Iwaizumi ran to the first available till and paid quickly before taking off back to the place where Bokuto had collapsed. Once he was back with the others, he laid the tarp out on the ground and the wolves helped drag Bokuto’s body into the middle. The strongest and biggest wolves each grabbed a corner, while the others helped out wherever there was room. The wolves managed to drag the tarp all the way to the café at a decent pace considering the inconvenient situation they had to work with. Once they arrive in the basement of the café the three humans just barely managed to lift Bokuto up onto the medical table to be worked on.

Suga got to work on stopping the bleeding of the more serious wounds, then worked to clean up the deeper wounds that had already stopped bleeding. After the more serious wounds were dealt with Suga treated the less serious ones: he cleaned them up and rubbed a medicinal tincture over them to help prevent infection. The deeper wounds had to be bandaged up, and a couple even had to be stitched closed once the bleeding had been stopped. Suga worked long and hard and it was starting to get late. The other wolves gathered around in the small basement and hadn’t bothered to return to human form. A tense silence hung in the air while they watched Suga work away. Finally, Yaku offered to take the youngsters home. Lev, Kunimi, and Kindaichi follow him without question, but Hinata and Terushima refused to leave Bokuto’s side. Yaku was far too tired to argue so he left with his three family members.

“Hey, do you think you could run home and pick up a change of clothes for everybody? Get some for Bokuto too, for when he wakes up.” Hanamaki whispered into Matsukawa’s ear.

“Sure babe, leave it to me.”

The shaggy dark brown wolf brushed past his light reddish-tan colored pair and headed up the stairs to complete the task he was given. Hanamaki decided to stay as a support system for the other wolves who remained. They were all very clearly shaken up over the sudden collapse of their leader and somebody needed to stay to hold things together. Hinata and Terushima were sitting closely beside one another watching their alpha with wide eyes, never once glancing away. Bokuto was not someone Hinata could afford to lose right now. He was a close friend, a mentor, and a support system for the little orange wolf. He came to the rescue anytime he was needed and Hinata would be totally lost without him. He helped the wolf learn to control his abilities, he helped the younger one regain his confidence after a scary situation, and he saved Hinata’s new friend.

Terushima hadn’t known Bokuto for long, but he knew that more trouble would follow if the alpha died. Terushima might even have to leave his new family and rejoin his old pack, which he desperately wanted to avoid at all costs. 

Iwaizumi sat on the cold concrete floor stroking his boyfriend’s fluffy chocolate fur. He would never admit it out loud, but he had grown rather fond of Bokuto, and being apart of his so-called family was an honour. Oikawa would have been lost without Bokuto’s help. The pretty man may have hated the white wolf the first time he met him, but they soon became great friends. He enjoyed his time spent teasing each other along with Kuroo. Bokuto was also the reason Oikawa had finally been able to quit his hunting job and follow his dream. Then there was Akaashi. Oikawa had no idea what was happening with the ebony-haired man, but he was really worried for both of his friends.

Hanamaki casually moved closer to Kyoutani, trying to be as subtle as possible. The proud sandy wolf would throw a fit if he thought Hanamaki was trying to comfort him. Kyoutani glanced over at the reddish-tan wolf slowly scooting closer to him and couldn’t be bothered. Kyoutani rested his head heavily on his friend once Hanamaki reached his side. If Kyoutani was accepting Hanamaki’s comfort, then he was much more worried than he appeared.

Konoha stood off to the side away from the other wolves, despite the white wolf being in such bad condition he hated to admit it, but he was much more worried about Akaashi. Konoha thought back to the time where he accused Bokuto of possibly harming his friends; he could confidently say that that wasn’t the case anymore. Bokuto had practically put his life on the line to protect Akaashi. Konoha would owe the wolf a thank you when he woke up.

Matsukawa returned an hour later in his human form with a bag full of clothes. The wolves all took a set of clothing and changed back into their human forms. Iwaizumi snuck out to call Kuroo, figuring it was the least he could do. The black-haired man was probably the most worried about his two roommates. Iwaizumi couldn’t even imagine the worry he felt having one friend in the hospital, and the other somewhere else where you couldn’t check up on him.

Suga finally finished treating all of Bokuto’s wounds. The wolf had some pretty deep scratch marks and bites littering his entire body. He would be alright, probably just really sore when he woke up. Suga had successfully stopped the bleeding before it became a serious problem, all he needed now was rest and time to recover. Suga announced Bokuto’s condition to the others who had been patiently waiting for news. After finding out that Bokuto would be alright, all the exhausted people fell asleep in a warm pile of bodies surrounded by their friends. Suga smiled softly and placed blankets over everyone before joining the pile himself.

The next morning Bokuto woke up in a panic surrounded by the scent of fear and worry. His loud scrambling woke the others up who all rushed to his side trying to calm him down. Bokuto didn’t take notice of any of them he continued trying to scramble to his feet and get away from the heavy stench of fear and worry and find Akaashi who was nowhere in sight. A distant voice yelled something, and all of a sudden, he felt himself being held down by multiple pairs of hands. He tried to struggle against them, but he was still fairly weak; then something sharp poked him in the back of his neck and he found his strength withering away. He fought to keep his eyes open still searching around for Akaashi but it was no use, his body went limp and his vision became black.

“What did you do to him?” Hinata asked concerned.

“I just sedated him. He should be asleep for awhile now. He needs his rest, and you all should go home and get some yourselves.” Suga said.

Hanamaki and Matsukawa returned to their apartment complexes and told the others the news. Konoha returned home because he was far to exhausted to do anything else. Hinata, Terushima, and Kyoutani all headed back to Iwaizumi and Oikawa’s apartment. Suga stayed to watch over Bokuto and make a call to his husband giving him some sort of excuse for why he hadn’t come home last night. Suga hadn’t checked his phone at all, the day before, and this morning there were twenty missed calls from his husband who was obviously very worried.

* * *

Oikawa and Iwaizumi had invited the others over to their apartment because they didn’t think that any of them should be alone right now. With Bokuto out of the picture for now the couple took responsibility for keeping the others safe and away from any other dangerous situations. Knowing Hinata he might blindly confront the pack of wolves and end up dead. Kyoutani could explode and do all sorts of things if that temper got the better of him. It was safer if they all stayed together. 

“How did any of this even happen in the first place?” Hinata asked no one in particular.

“Well I’m sure after coming to rescue you and me Bokuto became a target for the pack. Tendou probably told Ushijima all about the other alpha, and Ushijima deemed him a threat. I’m sure Ushijima probably realized Bokuto’s potential to be an obstacle in the way of their plan.” Terushima explained his theory.

“Wait what plan?” Iwaizumi asked.

“I’m not sure, but sometimes I heard Ushijima and Tendou whispering to each other about their plan. Although I am pretty sure that attacking Akaashi was their way of getting to Bokuto. Tendou is known for figuring out his enemies’ weaknesses and using them to the pack’s advantage. I just never would have thought they would use someone else as bait to lure out Bokuto.” Terushima said.

“Well they did meet him saving the two of you.” Kyoutani gave Hinata and Terushima a sharp glare.

“Not to sound too cynical or anything but Kou-chan waking up panicked this morning kind of reminded me that he has been having panic attacks lately. Do you think those could affect his recovery or his ability to withstand another attack from the pack?” Oikawa chimed in.

“Now that you mention it, he did have two panic attacks at dinner that one time.” Iwaizumi said thoughtfully.

“He also had one after saving me from the hunters.” Hinata added.

“I also overheard Tetsu-chan talking about a couple other instances.” Oikawa announced.

“I know why that’s happening.” Kyoutani stated flatly.

“Wait, what? Then why don’t you inform the rest of us outsiders Mad Dog-chan.” Oikawa said.

“Well it’s actually more of a problem with Akaashi than it is with Bokuto. There is this thing for werewolves called imprinted pairs.” Kyoutani started.

“Oh! I heard about those, but Bokuto told me that I didn’t need to know about it until I was older.” Hinata cut in.

“I’ve never heard about it.” Oikawa interjected.

“That’s because it wouldn’t apply to you unless you fell in love with a born werewolf!” Kyoutani growled getting everyone to shut up so he could continue. “Imprinted pairs happen when two werewolves are in love with each other. There are some conditions that must be met like it has to be true love, the feeling has to be reciprocated from both ends, and it can only take place when at least one born wolf is involved. When two wolves are imprinted on each other it creates a special bond between the pair. The bond allows the two to feel each others’ emotions, affect each others’ emotions, and sense each other.”

“What does that have to do with Bokuto’s panic attacks?” Iwaizumi questioned.

“Bokuto is actually one half of a pair with Akaashi. However, when a wolf imprints on a human the bond is practically a one-way street because humans aren’t capable of creating such bonds. The wolf then becomes overloaded with the human’s strong emotions because the human isn’t able to feel their partner’s emotions in return. Bokuto’s panic attacks are caused by Akaashi’s strong bubbling emotions that he isn’t able to control.” Kyoutani finished.

“So, then Aka-chan is capable of feelings.” Oikawa mused.

“You seem really knowledgeable on the subject considering wolves imprinting on humans isn’t very common.” Terushima noticed.

“Yes, I am speaking from experience." Kyoutani said dryly.

"Would you tell us about it, Mad Dog-chan? I'm sure we would all be grateful for the opportunity to learn more about Aka-chan and Kou-chan's relationship." Oikawa said with a sly smirk.

"We all know, you just want to hear about Kyoutani's drama so you can gossip about it." Terushima interjected.

"Fine." Kyoutani growled. "When I was in my very first family, I was always pretty lonely. My parents were killed by hunters and nobody knew how to be around me due to my outbursts of anger and overall horrible personality. So, I spent most of my time in the town and that’s where I met a boy named Yahaba Shigeru. We didn’t get along at first but the more time we spent together the more he began to accept me. He was kind to me despite my horrible personality and short temper. I imprinted on him and then became an even bigger outcast in my family than I already was because of it. I used to have waves of emotion wash over me for no reason, but they were never as bad as Bokuto because Shigeru was really good at controlling his emotions. After I told him about it, we had decided we would run away together, but we were young, stupid, and foolish. A few days after that he collapsed. I took him to the hospital, and he was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Apparently by the time pancreatic cancer is noticed usually it has already spread drastically. Shigeru didn't have long after that.” Kyoutani explained with an unusual sad tone due to memories flooding him.

“I-I’m so sorry Kyoutani-san.” Hinata said sympathetically.

“Yeah, it kind of sucks because you can only imprint once in your entire lifetime, and if the other dies the bond doesn’t go away. It just weights you down because were you used to feel the other’s emotions, but then the only thing left is a cold dark line. When you try reaching out through the bond all of the memories and pain of your loved one dying rush back to you. There are a lot of wolves that die after losing their partner because they are unable to adapt to living that way. The stronger you are able to feel the other’s emotions the worse it will be if they die. So, I pray to whoever might be listening that Akaashi will be alright because I wouldn’t wish that pain on anybody, not even my worst enemy. And based on Bokuto’s reactions to Akaashi’s emotions his pain would be a hundred times worse than mine ever was.” Kyoutani confessed.

Just then Iwaizumi’s phone jolted everyone back to reality and out of their heads. Iwaizumi quickly shushed everyone and answered the call from Kuroo.

“Hey.”

“Hey Iwaizumi, I'm just calling to give you an update. Akaashi’s parents and I spent the night in the waiting room. Akaashi came out of surgery really early this morning while we were all still asleep.”

“How is he?”

“Well the doctor said that his wounds were deep, and he lost a lot of blood. They said if he had lost anymore, he would be dead. He isn’t awake or out of the woods yet, but they said the surgery went well. He needs lots of rest, and we just have to wait for him to wake up.”

“Are we able to come visit him yet?”

“Yes, he is allowed visitors, but he is still unconscious. How is Bo?”

“Suga said he would make a full recovery with some rest. He woke up this morning in a bit of a panic so Suga sedated him. He’s probably still asleep, but he will be fine.”

“That’s a relief.” Kuroo sighed.

* * *

Kuroo put his phone back into the pocket of his sweatpants and looked up at the man laying in the hospital bed. The man looked paler than usual which was saying something since he already had beautifully pale skin, but this was different. His skin was pale in a sickly way. The male’s ebony hair was a mess against the pillow under his head that lacked a good firmness. A few strands curled at the end into his face giving him a strange look of peace. He did look rather peaceful laying there, until you looked down and saw all the tubes sticking out of him for various reasons. Some to help him breath, some to get nutrients to him, and some to keep him hydrated. Kuroo jumped when a hand was placed on his shoulder; he turned to see Akaashi’s mother looking at him.

“We are going to head home. There isn’t much we can do until he wakes up, and we both need some rest. I would suggest you do the same, but I know you won’t.” Makoto glanced over at her husband.

“Okay, see you later. I’ll call you when he wakes up.” Kuroo responded voice catching in his throat.

Makoto sighed before turning around and leaving with her husband. Kuroo couldn’t leave Akaashi here alone, he would probably be pretty distraught when he woke up, and he definitely shouldn’t have to wake up alone in the hospital. Kuroo swallowed hard trying to clear the lump he felt in his throat; he hadn’t cried even once since the incident, feeling as if he had to be strong for everyone. This left him with his sobs getting stuck in his throat forming an uncomfortable lump. Half an hour later Kuroo heard multiple footsteps heading his way; they were loud enough to be heard all the way down the hall. It was probably the others coming to check on Akaashi, Kuroo thought to himself. He was proved right when Iwaizumi opened the door to the small room and the others all pushed their way inside. Hinata was the first one through the door and he let out a loud dramatic gasp when he saw the beautiful man laying on the bed. Terushima came in right behind him, but he stayed further back, feeling as if his feeling mattered less because he hadn’t know Akaashi very long. Kyoutani walked in and sat down beside Kuroo in the only other chair in the room; his gaze brushed over the man laying on the bed taking in every detail as if to determine how bad the situation was. Oikawa stumbled into the room dramatically pulling Iwaizumi with him allowing the door to fall shut. Iwaizumi stood over by Terushima and watched from a distance while his boyfriend went up and stood next to Hinata beside Akaashi’s bed.

“How is he?” Oikawa asked looking back at Kuroo.

“He’s alive.” Kuroo said flatly usual joking or amused tone not present.

“When will he wake up?” Hinata asked taking one of Akaashi’s hands in his own.

“I’m not sure. The doctors say he will wake up when he’s ready.” Kuroo sighed.

Kuroo crossed his arms and he looked down at his lap. He really didn’t want to be answering all these questions. He honestly didn’t know anything more than they did, and he was really tired of trying to keep it together. Even though he had told everyone they were welcome to come visit, he really wished they would all just leave. He felt overwhelmed and felt like he needed to be alone. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep his sobs at bay. He felt like bile was rising in his throat, and he swallowed again and ran a hand through his hair that was more of a mess than usual. He was so concentrated on holding back his emotions he hadn’t even notice that Oikawa made his way over to him and was standing in front of him staring down at him.

“You know it’s okay to be upset. If you need to cry you should just let it happen. None of us would think any less of you.” Oikawa’s voice made Kuroo jump.

“I’m fine.” Kuroo snapped.

“No, you’re not. You’ve been here alone for awhile now, and you haven’t even cried. You need to let it out.”

“I said I’m fine! And I wasn’t here alone Akaashi’s parents were with me until awhile ago.” Kuroo said agitated.

“That’s not what I meant Tetsu-chan. I meant you don’t have any support seeing as your two best friends are both unconscious. You are worried. That is completely normal. Why can’t you understand that?”

“I’m fine! I’m fine! I’m fine!” Kuroo yelled.

“Kuroo-san…” Hinata said placing a hand on Kuroo’s.

“I don’t need your pity! I don’t need your sympathy!” Kuroo shouted swatting Hinata’s hand away.

This time Iwaizumi stepped in grabbing Kuroo by the collar of his shirt and lifting him up so that he was standing. Kuroo was completely shocked at the aggressive behaviour, but only for a moment before putting on a fake devilish grin and making a snappy retort.

“Like you’d even know how I feel.”

Iwaizumi dropped Kuroo back into his chair and turned away from him. “Don’t even think for a second that you are the only one who cares for them. We have all been up practically all-night waiting at Bokuto’s side, waiting for a call from you about Akaashi. We are all worried, we were practically balling messes last night.”

“Oh what? So, I don’t care unless I am a balling mess like all of you?” Kuroo’s anger was growing with every second.

“That’s not what I said. Some people deal with their emotions differently than others, but you aren’t dealing at all, and that’s not healthy. You can’t just keep everything bottled up inside you and then lash out at the people who are only trying to help. You need to go home and cool off. We will watch over Akaashi.”

“Thanks, but I think I’ll stay!” Kuroo said, his words dripping with anger and resentment.

Iwaizumi snapped around to look at him, giving him a look that said try me, and Kuroo was about to until Iwaizumi spoke. “That wasn’t a request. Go home. Take a shower. Brush your hair. Sleep. I don’t want to see you back here until at least after 3:00.” Iwaizumi kept his voice calm and collected, but his tone was strict and demanding.

“Fine!” Kuroo spat before storming out.

“Iwa, wasn’t that a little harsh?” Oikawa questioned.

“Nah, he needs time to himself. I guarantee as soon as he is alone, he will break down sobbing.”

“Then shouldn’t we go after him?” Hinata said with concern.

“No, he will just keep lashing out if we stick around. He needs to get it out of his system and then he will feel much better. Plus, we are all upset, and no one deserves that asshole yelling about how we don’t care or understand his pain.”

"So, what will happen to Aka-chan when he becomes a werewolf? Will his bond with Kou-chan change?" Oikawa directed his question to Kyoutani who had remained rather quiet.

"Actually, based on his smell, I would have to say he is still human." Kyoutani replied.

"Wait how is that possible? When I was bitten I became a werewolf."

"He probably wasn't bitten by any of the born wolves."

Oikawa took a moment to remember Bokuto's teachings. Right, only born wolves could change a human. I guess it made sense that they didn't want to change Akaashi into a wolf, after all they were planning on killing him once he served his purpose as bait. A long silence passed over the room, nobody wanting to be the first to break it. Finally Hinata spoke up with tears welling up in his eyes.

“Iwaizumi-san… I’m really scared.” Hinata admitted.

“I know Kiddo.” Iwaizumi said with a soft smile. “I think we all are.”

Oikawa walked up to the little orange-haired boy and took him in his arms hugging him tightly. He whispered reassurances into the younger’s ear until they were both in tears. Oikawa guided them both over to the chair where Kuroo had been sitting. He plopped himself down and pulled Hinata into his lap giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead. Kyoutani sitting next them couldn’t help but cry for the second time in the past few days. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was scared too. Terushima started sniffling in the corner trying to cover up his tears. Oikawa beckoned Terushima over to him and the boy strolled over to him and Hinata now sobbing without restraint. Oikawa wrapped his arm around Terushima’s back while he stood crying above them. Iwaizumi had silent tears streaming down his face at the sight of his friends. Bokuto was right, they really were like a family now. He knew that Oikawa felt like a mother figure to the kids of the group, and it really warmed his heart to see his boyfriend like that.

* * *

Kuroo finally arrived back at home still seething with rage. Misty didn’t even go up to greet him knowing her owner wouldn’t take the gesture kindly. Kuroo walked into his room and angrily kicked his bed a couple times, startling Apple Pie who was sleeping on it. The cat quickly ran away seeking the shelter of his cat tree next to the TV. Kuroo was now shouting to himself, a flurry of angry words leaving his lips. The more angry words he shouted the more the anger slowly slipped away being replaced by heaving sobs. Iwaizumi was right: everyone was upset, everyone was scared about losing one or both of them. Why had he acted out the way he did? Why couldn’t he have just accepted the support the others were trying to give him? He really did need the support, but there was nothing more supportive or reassuring than Bokuto’s loud bright laugh filling the room or Akaashi’s dead cold stare and blunt statements covering up how much he truly cared.

Kuroo really missed his friends and he desperately wanted them to be sitting on the couch in the living room when he walked out of his room. But the living room was empty. The house was empty. He was the only one there. Kuroo plopped down onto his bed face pushed into his pillow soaking it with his tears and muffling the sound of his cries. He was alone. The last thing Kuroo thought before his exhausted body drifted off to sleep was that he needed to apologize to the others. Kuroo was jolted awake by the ringing sound of his phone. He hadn’t even noticed he fell asleep. His eyes were red and puffy from all the tears he shed, and his voice was hoarse from all the sobs.

“Hello?” Kuroo answered the phone.

“Hey Kuroo, it’s Suga.”

That got Kuroo’s attention. “Is Bo alright? What’s wrong?” Kuroo’s voice came out much more panicked than he had meant it to.

“No, no, he’s fine. It’s just he woke up, and I seriously can’t calm him down. I had to tie him down to the table, but he is freaking out so much I’m afraid he is going to break the bonds and rip his stitches open.”

“Okay I’m on my way. Can you sedate him again?”

“No, I don’t have any left. It took a lot to sedate him the first time.”

“Okay I’ll try and get there as soon as possible.”

“Thanks, and I’m sorry for disturbing you, but I had a feeling you would be the only one he might listen to.”

“Right.”

Kuroo hung up the phone and threw on his jacket before getting in his car and speeding over to the café. Kuroo ran down the stairs to the basement so quickly and sure enough there was Bokuto chained to a large metal medical table. His golden eyes seemed to be darkened with a haziness that told Kuroo he wasn’t thinking clearly right now. the large white wolf was pulling and struggling against the chains with all his might. Suga appeared from around the corner, completely lost as of what to do. Honestly Kuroo wasn’t so sure he could calm down a rabid Bokuto, but he had to try so his friend didn’t hurt himself. Kuroo stepped forward and placed his hand on Bokuto’s head firmly holding it down on the table as he spoke in a calming soothing voice.

“Hey Bo, how are you? How is work going? Meet any nice new customers?” Kuroo rambled on about random things trying to get Bokuto to focus on his voice.

“I don’t think that’s working.” Suga commented watching Bokuto struggle even harder to lift his head.

“Bo, I need you to calm down, you are going to hurt yourself. Hey, Bokuto! Bokuto Koutarou! Koutarou!”

Nothing seemed to be working and Kuroo was getting more desperate for his friend to calm down. He removed his hand from the wolf’s head which earned him a vicious snap from the wolf. Kuroo drew his hand away and stood back. A wave of helplessness washed over him: he had no idea how to help his friend. If Akaashi were here, he’d be able to do it. He would have Bokuto calm in an instant. How though? What would Akaashi do? Think! Think Kuroo! Think!

“Umm… Kuroo how do you usually calm him?” Suga asked trying to be encouraging.

“I don’t. Akaashi. Akaashi was the only one ever able to calm him.” Kuroo said defeated.

Bokuto’s ears twitched over in Kuroo’s direction. Suga seemed to notice this and encouraged Kuroo to keep talking about Akaashi. Kuroo looked confused but obeyed anyways having nothing to lose.

“Umm… well Akaashi is really good with animals, he always has been. He was the one that found Bokuto and convince me to take him in. Akaashi was the only person able to approach him at first, Bokuto wouldn’t let me anywhere near him. But Akaashi always managed to gain his trust. He took care of Bokuto’s wounds for the first few weeks, letting him stay in his room. After that they got a lot closer, and Akaashi even saved me from being Bokuto chow once when I cornered him angrily. Akaashi was the reason Bokuto and I were able to get along and I’m so glad we did. I couldn’t imagine my life without Bokuto. Akaashi was also the only person who was able to calm Bokuto down when he was in a mood or upset. I’m still not sure how he did it.” Kuroo talked about anything and everything that came to his mind pertaining to Akaashi and as he did, he noticed Bokuto stopped struggling against the chains so much.

“Keep going.” Suga encouraged. “I think it’s working. Can you tell him how he is doing now?”

Kuroo looked skeptical, he didn’t want to say the wrong thing and cause Bokuto to panic again. “Akaashi is resting in the hospital. His surgery was a success and he just needs some rest. Would you like to see him? Akaashi will be fine Bo, he is strong.”

With that the look in the wolf’s eyes softened and he turned back to human form. “Really? He’s really alive?” Bokuto asked.

“Yes.” Kuroo gave him a small fond smile.

“I-I tried reaching out to him through the bond, but all I got was cold darkness. There wasn’t a single emotion coming from him. I thought he was dead.” Bokuto broke out crying.

Kuroo ran to his friend’s side and took off the chains to hold him closely in his arms. He hushed the sobbing man and gently rocked him. Kuroo had forgotten Bokuto could sense Akaashi through their bond. That was probably horrifying waking up and not being able to find him and then when he tried sensing him everything came up cold and empty as if he was gone off the face of the earth. No wonder Bokuto was so panicked, he probably just wanted to make sure Akaashi was alright.

“Can I see him?” Bokuto asked wiping away his tears.

“Of course.” Kuroo comforted, rubbing a hand through the other’s white and black locks.

“You need to put some clothes on first.” Suga interrupted their moment.

Kuroo having just realized he was holding a naked Bokuto, quickly pulled away and averted his eyes. Bokuto suddenly turned deep red, blushing until his face looked like a nice ripe tomato. Suga chuckled a little holding out a set of clothes for Bokuto to use.

“Or I mean you could walk around like that. I don’t think anyone would complain considering the view is so nice.” Suga teased.

Bokuto snatched the clothes away from Suga and turned around quickly dressing himself. Still very embarrassed.

“Okay let’s go! Suga you can come too.” Kuroo offered. “Oh right, but before we get there... Bo, Akaashi is alright, but his wounds were pretty bad, and he lost a lot of blood. The surgery was a success, but he hasn’t woken up yet. He is still unconscious, and he has a bunch of tubes sticking out of him. It isn’t really a pretty sight, but I don’t want you freaking out when we get there, so I’m telling you now.”

“Okay, I promise I won’t freak out.” Bokuto said.

* * *

Bokuto threw the hospital room door open and strutted inside confidently. Kuroo and Suga followed in after him holding drinks for everyone from the café. Kuroo knew he needed to apologize so he offered to pay for everyone’s drinks, but Suga insisted they were on the house for today, but that he wouldn’t turn down the offer another time. Everyone stared in shock at the loud entrance and nobody said anything for a short minute. Iwaizumi was the first to speak.

“Hunh!? I thought I sent you home to sleep. What are you doing back here so early it's before 3:00! And you went to see Bokuto! Did you even do what I told you to?”

Kuroo was about to respond but Suga beat him to it. “Sorry that was probably my fault. I called him over to help me deal with Bokuto.” Suga gave a shy smile and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Tssk, whatever.” Iwaizumi said.

“Umm… I… I just wanted to apologize to all of you. I was under a lot of stress and I know that’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you guys the way I did, I’m sorry. I know you guys are worried too, I was just being selfish.” Kuroo said hesitantly not sure if he would be forgiven.

“Meh, don’t sweat it.” Iwaizumi brushed him off.

“Don’t worry Tetsu-chan, we all know you were just super sad.” Oikawa teased.

“Shut up! I wasn’t sad! Just… a little worried.” Kuroo defended.

“More like a lot worried, you were so were all grrrrr and huff and wahhhh!” Hinata joined the teasing.

“Watch it shrimp!” Kuroo growled grabbing the boy and giving him a thorough noogie.

Bokuto burst out into his loud boisterous laughter that filled the small room. For the first time everyone seemed to really notice his presence. Hinata squirmed out of Kuroo’s grip and launched himself at the older man. Bokuto caught him in a hug with a slightly pained wince.

“Careful, he’s still injured you know.” Suga chastised Hinata.

“Sorry.” Hinata mumbled.

“I’m all good!” Bokuto said flexing to show off his muscles.

Suga swatted him over the back of the head. “Don’t do anything that might cause your stiches to rip because I won’t stitch you back up a second time. Got it!”

Bokuto chuckled and then grabbed Hinata into a gentler hug still squeezing him tight though. Terushima walked up to Bokuto hesitantly head down not meeting the other’s bright golden gaze. He tried to apologize but was cut off when a big solid hand landed on his head and messed up his hair dramatically.

“It wasn’t your fault, so don’t blame yourself. Hahaha, look at that hair! It’s almost as bad as Kuroo’s!” Bokuto chuckled.

“Hey! That is the biggest insult anyone has ever said to me.” Terushima shouted pushing Bokuto’s hand off his head.

Bokuto laughed again, but much louder this time. Kuroo let out a dramatic gasp playing at being offended. Bokuto just looked over at his messy hair friend and gave him a wink. Kuroo’s playful smirk returned to his face as he ran a hand through his hair. Bokuto walked over to Kyoutani who was still sitting in the same chair and being uncharacteristically quiet. His lips weren’t pulled into heir usual scowl, his eyes weren’t narrowed into their usual glare, and his eyes were clearly red and puffy. Bokuto slammed his friend on the back hard earning him a narrow-eyed glare.

“I see someone’s been crying. Did you really miss little old me that much?” Bokuto teased.

“Yeah, right! Who would miss your loud obnoxious laugh and yelling!” Kyoutani growled with a scowl.

“Awe, you didn’t miss me?” Bokuto asked dejectedly jutting out his bottom lip into a small pout.

“Of course, I miss you stupid. You really had us all worried there for a while.” Kyoutani’s gaze and voice both softened.

“I know.” Bokuto whispered softly. “I mean who wouldn’t miss me, I’m pretty awesome!” The white-haired man boasted.

Kuroo and Kyoutani both scoffed in response, and Oikawa giggled from his spot beside Akaashi. Without looking at the man lying unconscious in the bed Bokuto walked up to the giggling Oikawa and stared down at him with a sense of superiority. Oikawa took that as a challenge and stood up to face the taller more muscular man.

“Getting pretty cocky aren’t you now Kou-chan.”

“Yep!” Bokuto replied with an almost childish innocence.

Oikawa’s challenging glare turned into a soft smile as he shook his head at the childish man.

“You sure are full of surprises Kou-chan.” Oikawa said sincerely.

“What do you mean by that?” Bokuto gasped in mock hurt.

“Oh nothing…” Oikawa teased with a smirk.

Bokuto huffed before turning away and bouncing up to Iwaizumi. Bokuto smacked him on the back with enough force to send the little solidly built man stumbling forward.

“What the hell was that for?!” Iwaizumi shouted teeth and fists clenched tight in anger.

“Good job!” Bokuto cheered with his signature bright smile. “You can relax now, I’m back and everything will work out fine.” Bokuto pulled Iwaizumi close and whispered into his ear in a serious tone before releasing his hold on the man and turning back to the others with another wide grin.

Iwaizumi’s face was frozen in shock for a moment before he realized what Bokuto had been doing since he entered this room. Iwaizumi let a soft grin slip onto his face, and he relaxed his shoulders that he hadn’t even noticed had gotten tight. He crossed his arms and a feeling of welling pride hit him as he watched Bokuto bound away from him. Bokuto had come in here and singlehandedly cheered everyone up and restored their spirits with just a couple words and gestures to each of them. With him there the whole room felt lighter, it was like they had their own sunshine and each of them orbited around him at different distances much like the planets. But they all needed his bright golden rays. He was happiness, hope, fun, and kindness all packed into a human/wolf skin. What would they ever do without him?

“Alright Bokuto you can stop cheering us up now and check on your beloved Akaashi.” Suga said from the corner of the room.

Having observed the whole scenario, he grew a deeper respect for the man that was Bokuto Koutarou. Despite being so worried about Akaashi, he put his own needs and desires on hold to cheer everybody up.

“Awe Suga, I was trying to be all discreet and cool.” Bokuto whined.

“You were.” Suga said. “I’m pretty sure Iwaizumi and I were the only ones who noticed.”

Bokuto gave Suga a soft smile letting his cheery façade fall to reveal a calmer and more composed Bokuto. Subdued due to his worries but still wearing a smile. The others who hadn’t noticed Bokuto’s plan to cheer everybody up stared at him with wonder in their eyes. For the first time they all seemed to notice he hadn’t even once looked over at Akaashi laying on the bed. Now knowing what they knew, about him loving the man laying there, they had a new sense of gratefulness for the man. Oikawa stepped aside to allow Bokuto to see Akaashi. When his gaze met the younger male laying on the hospital bed his yellow eyes widened, and he took slow confident steps towards the bed. Bokuto stared for a minute observing Akaashi lying there unconscious, following the slight rise and fall of his chest. He was alive, and Bokuto was relieved. Kyoutani gave his chair to Bokuto so he could sit next to the hospital bed. The others all seemed to hold their breath at the reunion but released it when they saw a soft fond smile form on Bokuto’s lips and a single tear drip down onto the others hand as Bokuto brought it up to his mouth and kissed it ever so tenderly. That smile was reserved for Akaashi and Akaashi alone and the others could all tell. It was a wonder they hadn’t noticed Bokuto’s feelings for the man before now.

"Akaashi, I love you." Bokuto whispered softly, escaping the ears of the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the sixteenth chapter:
> 
> \- Oikawa, Hinata, Terushima, and Iwaizumi jump in to help Bokuto protect Akaashi once they arrive on the scene. Kuroo tries to grab Akaashi and nearly gets his arm bitten off by Bokuto who was in a daze desperately trying to protect Akaashi.  
> \- Once Bokuto finally recognizes his friend he allows him to take Akaashi. The werewolves plus Iwaizumi make a protective circle around the humans in the middle. Suga treats Akaashi's wounds to the best of his abilities.  
> \- Bokuto and the other werewolves are still outnumbered and losing ground to the pack, until Kyoutani arrives with Yaku's family as back up. Ushijima calls for his pack to retreat after seeing they are being beaten pretty badly now that they are outnumbered.  
> \- Kuroo runs Akaashi to the hospital where he is immediately rushed into surgery. Kuroo also calls Akaashi's parents, and the three of them wait together for any news on Akaashi's condition.  
> \- Bokuto passes out and the other wolves drag him to the cafe to have Suga treat his wounds. Most of the wolves remain there overnight until Suga sends them all home once they all know that Bokuto is going to be fine.  
> \- Iwaizumi and Oikawa take Hinata, Terushima, and Kyoutani back to their place. Kyoutani explains why Bokuto has been having panic attacks. That it is because he is imprinted on Akaashi. He also explains the reason he knows so much about the subject.  
> \- They all decide to visit Akaashi and Kuroo at the hospital. Akaashi is out of surgery but he is still unconscious. Kuroo is really upset and lashes out at the others causing Iwaizumi to send him home while they stay and watch over Akaashi.  
> \- When Bokuto wakes up he can't feel anything on the other end of the bond so he freaks out. Suga is forced to call Kuroo for help. When they finally get him calmed down, the three of them go to join the others in the hospital and visit Akaashi.  
> \- Bokuto manages to lift everyone's spirits a little bit. He is comforted to see that Akaashi really is alive and just unconscious.


	17. Give Us Some Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Kissing, Mild Touching  
> This chapter contains a simple kissing scene as well as a slightly more heated make out scene. If you wish to skip these scenes don't read the paragraph that starts out like 'Akaashi blushed and turned away slightly...'. If you wish to skip the more heated make out scene stop reading on the paragraph that starts out like 'Akaashi laid his head on Bokuto's shoulder and Bokuto's head darted back to the TV.' and then pick it up again when Akaashi says 'You didn't hurt me Bokuto-san.'.

With his fingers still intertwined with Akaashi’s, Bokuto released some calming pheromones filling up the small room with his sweet sugary scent. It instantly put the other werewolves further at ease and into a calm mind set. The humans weren’t particularly affected, but they did notice a sweet smell drifting into the room. It smelled like sweet sugary caramel apples. Bokuto reached out through his bond with Akaashi once again; he still wasn’t able to sense anything, just cold, lonely darkness. He closed his eyes, squeezed Akaashi’s hand in his own, and sent calming waves rippling through the unconscious man. Akaashi’s hand suddenly gripped Bokuto’s tighter in response. So, he could still feel me. With a soft smile Bokuto rested his head on Akaashi’s hospital bed and drifted off to sleep. He was still exhausted from the events of yesterday and could no longer keep himself awake now that he knew Akaashi was alright. Everyone else around them was careful not to wake Bokuto, but they did observe the two fondly whispering amongst each other about how cute they were together. They spent the rest of the day crammed into the small hospital room until visiting hours came to an end. They were all kicked out by the nurses with the exception of Bokuto. Only one person was allowed to stay the night, and everyone decided to leave Bokuto who was still asleep. Kuroo took the rest of them back to his place: he couldn't stand anymore time alone in the house.

Back at Kuroo, Akaashi, and Bokuto’s place, Kuroo decided he should explain Bokuto and Akaashi’s situation to the others only to find out Kyoutani had already filled them in on the details. Iwaizumi was the first to bring up the subject they were all thinking about: what were they going to do about the pack? Everyone discussed what they knew and learned. They decided that it was probably best that they do something about the other wolves because it was far too dangerous to have them around. The first idea that came up was to talk it out with them and perhaps ask them to leave. That would be the ideal situation; although, they are pretty sure that won’t work. After discussing different ideas, the only back up plan they could come up with was to force the pack to leave. With a small group like theirs that could pose considerable risks, which would probably end up doing more harm than good. They decided to wait until Akaashi recovered to discuss the topic with Bokuto and see if he had any better ideas. Kuroo invited everybody to stay the night with the excuse that it was late, but secretly he couldn’t stand being in the house alone. He offered Akaashi’s room to Oikawa and Iwaizumi who happily accepted the invitation. Terushima and Hinata took Bokuto’s room, Kyoutani got Kuroo’s room, and Suga insisted he should get home so as not to worry his husband any further. Kuroo took the uncomfortable living room couch, but it was worth it, if it meant he was able to share the space with others. Everyone fell asleep quickly: they were all exhausted from the past couple days.

* * *

Monday everything went back to normal, or at least as normal as possible. Hinata and Terushima went to school together every morning since Terushima had been living with Hinata since having left his pack. They were a lot more cautious and watchful, but so far everything seemed to have calmed down a bit. Kyoutani went back to work like normal, sometimes stopping by the hospital after work to visit Bokuto and Akaashi. Oikawa was plunged back into the busy life of a med school student, and Iwaizumi was still working at the café and looking for a better job. Suga had a hell of a time coming up with an excuse for his absence lately, but he was pretty sure he managed to play it off without Daichi getting too suspicious. Although, he couldn't afford to disappear for any more days and not show up at night, or Daichi just might put a tracking device on him. Although his husband had been pretty understanding, he was starting to make comments about how many hunting operations Suga had been missing lately to stay back and watch the café. It would probably be for the best if Suga started going home a little more often even though he was desperate to check up on all his friends. It would be in their best interest, and it would keep them all safe.

Another thing that became different from normal was that Bokuto only had to make breakfast for three people in the morning instead of four. Kuroo and Konoha went to class together without their third musketeer. Bokuto visited Akaashi in the hospital every morning before work; then after school and work both Bokuto and Kuroo went together to visit Akaashi, sometimes accompanied by some of the others such as Kyoutani, Hinata and Terushima, and the odd time Konoha. This had become a sort of new normal. Bokuto kept everyone who didn’t have time to visit, updated on Akaashi’s condition, but so far nothing had changed. He was still alive and breathing, but he was also still unconscious and unresponsive for the most part. Seven days after the incident Bokuto and Kuroo had just gotten home from school and work; they were about to leave for the hospital to visit Akaashi like normal when Bokuto felt a sudden wave of loneliness wash over him where darkness had been for the past several days.

“He’s awake!” Bokuto announced.

Kuroo looked over at Bokuto confused, but as soon as he realized the meaning behind those words the both of them were already piled into the car on their way to the hospital. Bokuto and Kuroo hurried inside taking the familiar path to a room they had been visiting a lot recently, probably more than they would have liked. But it would all be worth it if Akaashi woke up. When Bokuto and Kuroo arrived at the room there were three nurses struggling to hold down a frantic Akaashi. The man had woken up in a strange place and the last thing he remembered was being attacked by a pack of wolves. At the sudden memory Akaashi had become frantic trying to rip out all the tubing attached to him and get away to somewhere or someone familiar. The panic was finally starting to hit Bokuto, but before it completely overwhelmed him, he heard the ebony-haired man call out his name. It was quiet, barely more than a whisper, the others probably hadn’t even heard it. Bokuto pushed passed the nurses wrestling with Akaashi earning him questioning glares for his interference, but he ignored them. The only thing that mattered was Akaashi. Bokuto took one of Akaashi’s hands in both of his and squeezed tightly.

“I’m right here Kashi.”

At the sound of a familiar voice and the feel of familiar hands Akaashi relaxed and stopped struggling against the nurses. They were about to give the patient a sedative if he hadn’t calmed down in the next few seconds; one of the nurses was standing there holding a needle that she had finished drawing in liquid from the vile in her other hand. The nurse quickly recapped the needle no longer needing it.

“Hey Kashi.” Bokuto said, sweetly running a hand across the other’s forehead to remove the curls from his face.

“Bokuto-san. Wh-what is going on? Where am I?” Akaashi asked still dazed.

“You’re in the hospital.” Kuroo responded as the nurses exited the room to leave them alone.

“Oh right. Of course, the hospital. Why didn’t I think of that sooner?”

“Hey Kashi, do you remember what happened and why you’re here?”

Akaashi took a minute to think before rehearsing what happened out loud. “I went out to get groceries for our party, but the line to pay had been long. I was running late so I took a shortcut through the forest. The next thing I knew I was surrounded by wolves. At first, I thought they might have been part of Yaku’s family since I didn’t recognize any of them and I hadn’t seen any them in their wolf forms before. After that it gets a little hazy for awhile. I think I might have blacked out or something. When I was able to focus again, I found myself still in the forest but nowhere that I recognized. I started feeling really afraid and scared and that’s when the wolves attacked.” Akaashi took a pause and a shaky breath before continuing. “I-I tried to get up and run away but I was tackled to the ground. I tried to curl up into a ball and cover the back of my next to protect everything important, but… there was just so many of them.” A couple tears trickled down Akaashi’s cheeks. “I can remember the feeling of them ripping into my skin with their claws and teeth. I think they were just toying with me to make me scream, otherwise I'm pretty sure I would be dead. Then I started feeling dizzy, and I think that’s when I passed out.”

“So, then you were already passed out when I got there?” Bokuto asked.

“You came?”

“Of course, I did Kashi! When I got there, you called out to me, so I thought you were still conscious for a little while.”

“But wait, how did you know I was in trouble or where to find me?” Akaashi’s soft smile was replaced with confusion.

“I think we should probably talk, but that can wait until we get you cleared to get out of this place. Okay?”

“Okay.” Akaashi echoed.

Akaashi passed out again still exhausted from everything. But rather than lost and unconscious, he was simply asleep this time. When he woke up a couple hours later his parents were there, Bokuto and Kuroo were still there, and there was a doctor waiting to speak to him. Once Akaashi was awake enough, the doctor began explaining the situation. The doctor said he could go home as long as he took it easy, got lots of rest, didn’t do anything besides little walks around the house a couple times a day, drank lots of water, and ate even if he didn’t have much of an appetite. He would also have to come back in every week so that they could take a look at his progress, clean his wounds, and rebandage them. Akaashi’s parents offered to have him stay at their place until he recovered, but Bokuto insisted he would look after him and that they still had to concentrate on their jobs. Kuroo and Bokuto helped Akaashi into the car careful not to hurt him. Akaashi definitely felt weak and very sore; he could hardly stand on his own. Kuroo drove them home slowly, trying to avoid every bump possible. When they got home, everyone was waiting inside their house.

“How did you guys…?” Kuroo didn’t even get to finish his question.

Konoha stepped forward. “Akaashi’s parents called me, and I know where you keep the spare key. I thought maybe we could have a little welcome home gathering.”

“Okay, but you guys can’t stay too long, the doc said Akaashi needs his rest.” Kuroo said.

“Oh yeah, they also told me to tell you they plan on stopping by tomorrow to check on you and Bokuto.” Konoha told Akaashi.

Akaashi shook his head. He just saw them at the hospital; they really didn’t need to check up on him so soon, but oh well. Akaashi quickly greeted everybody before Bokuto shooed him off to his room. Everyone left and the house became quiet once again, but not as quiet as it had been without Bokuto and Akaashi. Kuroo had really missed them and was very grateful to have both his roommates back in the house. Akaashi fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow: he was still exhausted. Bokuto and Kuroo stayed up a little while longer talking. Kuroo brought up the discussion he had with the others about how to handle the wolf pack. He explained the idea they had all come up with.

“So, what do you think Bo?”

“As much as I love the idea of talking it out, that seems very unlikely. Although, I would still like to try that first. But forcing them out poses a lot more risk to us than it does to them. Their pack is a lot bigger than our family, and we can’t possibly ask Yaku and the others to put themselves in so much danger again.”

“Then what do you suggest oh wise Koutarou?”

“What if we teamed up with the hunters? We could get Suga, Oikawa, and Iwaizumi to help us convince them.”

“Bo that is probably the worst idea you’ve ever had.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I'm still tired, after all. Alright forget I said that. So far, they haven’t made any other moves, right?”

“Right.”

“Alright well then, we might as well leave it for now, until we can come up with a better idea. They might back off now that they know they are outnumbered.”

“Okay I’ll let the others know, but make sure you keep an eye out. I am not convinced they won’t try something again.”

“Alright. I’m tired Tetsu, let’s head to bed.”

* * *

After a long day of resting in bed, Akaashi was bored to death and sick of not being able to do anything. Once Bokuto and Kuroo got home Akaashi invited them to join him on the couch grateful for the company. He had felt pretty lonely in the house alone all day. Bokuto declined the offer reminding him that his parents were coming over that night and someone had to cook supper. Kuroo took his place on the couch on the opposite side from Akaashi and started up a conversation about school. He informed Akaashi of everything he missed and handed him some extra worksheets he picked up after class. Their discussion was interrupted by a knock at the door. Kuroo got up to answer the door, while Akaashi helped Bokuto finish setting the table. Bokuto tried to get Akaashi to sit down and relax, but Akaashi refused, having felt useless all day he decided the least he could do was help set the table. Bokuto was careful not to let Akaashi carry anything heavier than an empty plate. Kuroo guided Akaashi’s parents into the house and to the table where they each took a seat across from their son. Bokuto sat next to Akaashi and Kuroo at the head of the table. Once everyone was settled and finished with their greetings, they all filled their plates.

“Bokuto-kun, the food is delicious.” Makoto commented.

“Thank you.” Bokuto said enthusiastically wearing a bright smile.

“Did your parents teach you to cook?” The woman asked curiously.

“Dear… maybe…” Akio reached over to stop his wife.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it! No, actually my parents were horrible cooks. Some family friends taught me, and after that I cooked for my brothers and sister so they wouldn’t have to eat my parents’ horrible food.” Bokuto let out a hardy laugh.

A small smile appeared on Akaashi’s mother’s lips before she decided to change the subject. It had been awhile since they last had dinner together and learning from her previous mistakes she wasn't about to push uncomfortable topics. She was just grateful Bokuto was finally willing to let her in, even if only a little bit. She also noticed that the white-haired man had become much more comfortable talking about his parents and siblings; his brilliant smile no longer faded when they were brought up. It seemed almost as if he had gotten to the point where he could remember them fondly.

“So Keiji, have you talked to your professors yet? You know you probably won’t be able to return to school anytime soon.” Makoto asked.

“No, not yet.” Akaashi replied.

“You’re such a good student. I bet if you explained the situation, they would make a compromise for you.” Kuroo chimed in.

“I will do that tomorrow. Thank you, Kuroo-san.”

“Good! Anyways, Keiji your father and I have been talking and we would feel much better if someone were around to watch you while you recover. We think it would be best for you to come home, and we would take turns taking days off to watch over you.”

“But mom, what about the clinic? I am perfectly fine on my own.”

“Well one of us would be at the clinic everyday, which means we would just have to cut back on the number of customers each day for awhile. And sweety I know you say you’re fine, but you were hurt really bad and you shouldn’t be moving around much. You need someone to take care of you for awhile.” Makoto tried to reason.

“You two shouldn’t have to take care of me anymore, I'm an adult now. I also really don’t want to leave Kuroo-san and Bokuto-san.”

“Sweety I am sure they can manage without you for awhile, and there is no need to feel bad. We are your parents, taking care of you is what we do.”

“Ummm… excuse me. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, I could just take off work for awhile and stay here with Akaashi.” Bokuto spoke up.

“Bokuto-kun that is awfully generous of you, but we couldn’t ask that of you.” Akio said.

“Ah, no don’t worry! It’s no trouble at all! I want to help!” Bokuto flashed is award winning smile.

“Well as long as you’re sure. That would be a great help. Thank you Bokuto-kun. I’m sure the clinic can manage without for awhile because you have trained our new recruits flawlessly.” Makoto said.

“Alright, then it’s settled. Bo make sure you take good care of our Akaashi.” Kuroo said with a smirk.

Bokuto blushed slightly and turned his head to look away. Akaashi didn’t even have enough time to protest because everything had already been decided for him. Although, he secretly couldn’t wait to spend some time alone with Bokuto. These next few months were going to be some of the best, he could feel it. He was going to take this opportunity to spend as much time as possible with Bokuto and his friends. If almost dying had taught him anything, it would have to be that life was too short. There was the possibility that death could take anyone at any moment, and he needed to take advantage of the time he had with everyone while he still had it.

* * *

The next day everyone started a whole new morning routine. Bokuto still woke up early and took Misty out for a run before starting the day. When he got back Kuroo would be just starting to wake up and Konoha would be watching TV in their living room. Bokuto would take a quick shower to clean up and then get started on breakfast. While he made breakfast Kuroo took his turn in the bathroom and got ready for the day. When Kuroo got out, he and Konoha would eat their perfectly prepared food and then head off to school. Bokuto finished his morning clean up and then sat on the couch with Apple Pie cuddled up in his lap. Sometimes he turned on the TV other times he just sat in silence enjoying the animals’ company, and other times he put on some quiet music. A couple hours later Akaashi would wake up and was greeted with his bitter morning coffee and a brightly smiling Bokuto. Akaashi couldn’t help but enjoy his mornings now: he was never much of a morning person, but when he was greeted by a lively Bokuto trying his best to be quiet for him, he couldn’t help but smile.

Today Akaashi was going to the university to speak with his professors. As much as Bokuto tried to convince him a phone call would work just as well, Akaashi felt like he owed it to his professors to come in person, especially if he was going to be able to convince them for some kind of compromise. Bokuto ended up driving Akaashi to the university insisting that Akaashi shouldn’t be walking too much. Akaashi wasn’t too keen on walking the hour it would take him to get to his school, but he also wasn’t sure it was a good idea to let someone who didn’t have a license drive him there. To Akaashi’s surprise Bokuto was a very careful driver, and they arrived at the university without any incidents.

“Bokuto-san since when do you know how to drive?”

“My parents’ family friends taught me how when I was younger, but I never got my license because it wasn't unnecessary for where I lived.”

Bokuto held the door open so Akaashi could make his way inside. Once they were inside Akaashi noticed that Bokuto was blocking him from other people passing through the hallways. He was probably making sure that the injured Akaashi didn’t get bumped or pushed in anyway that might cause pain or the reopening of his wounds. Akaashi led the two around campus visiting each professor and stopping in to talk to them if they didn’t have a class going on at the moment. He had to take many breaks in between since he was still fairly weak, but he had already come this far, he might as well finish his rounds. Finally, Akaashi had finished explaining his situation to every single one of his professors for the semester. He had told them he was in an accident and his doctor recommended he stay on bed rest for awhile and therefore, he would be unable to attend classes. His professors all expressed their condolences and offered to prepare all the material and assignments online for him to complete at home. Akaashi expressed his gratitude to all of them for their kindness and understanding. Now, he found himself sitting on a bench in the hallway exhausted from the effort of walking around campus all day. He had probably overexerted himself too soon after the incident, and he was now regretting it.

“Here Kashi let me help you.” Bokuto supported the other as they slowly made their way to the exit.

Akaashi was grateful for Bokuto’s presence next to him. He wouldn’t admit it out loud but perhaps Bokuto had the right idea when he suggested Akaashi call his professors instead of visiting them in person. As Bokuto and Akaashi made their way out of the building, Bokuto caught the scent of someone familiar and it made the hair on the back of his neck bristle. A man with spiky cream-colored hair with darkened tips passed them in the hallway. His eyes caught Bokuto’s and a silent recognition was made between the two. This man was one of the werewolves from Ushijima’s pack who attacked Akaashi. Bokuto instantly tensed up ready and prepared for any kind of incidents that might ensue, but the man simply looked away and continued past them. Bokuto let out a sigh of relief. Maybe they really weren’t planning on trying anything else.

“Bokuto-san are you alright?” Akaashi asked his green gaze piercing Bokuto’s golden one.

“Oh, yes. Of course, Kashi. Let’s get you home.” Bokuto said with a smile.

Once they were back at home Akaashi fell asleep in his room, tired from the day’s effort. Bokuto silently watched over the ebony-haired male until he was fast sleep. Not wanting anything to disturb Akaashi’s much needed rest, Bokuto closed the door so that Misty and Apple Pie wouldn’t be able to go in. Hopefully it would also muffle the sounds of the TV were Bokuto sat awaiting Kuroo’s return. Once Kuroo got home, Bokuto was once again reminded that he needed to talk to Akaashi about their whole relationship. Kuroo was really pushing the idea now that everything had settled down and Akaashi was home safe and sound. Although, he was nervous Bokuto had already promised Akaashi he would explain everything, and he didn't like breaking his promises.

* * *

Bokuto had finally decided he was going to tell Akaashi about his feelings and about the bond they shared, but he wasn’t sure where to start. He really didn’t want to put too much pressure on Akaashi to accept his feelings, or to bury his own feelings to stop Bokuto from perceiving them. Bokuto was pacing back and forth in front of the TV while Akaashi was sitting on the couch watching him. Finally, the ebony-haired man couldn’t take any more of watching the anxious pacing.

“Bokuto-san what’s wrong? Your pacing is starting to make me nervous.”

Bokuto stopped his pacing and glanced over to Akaashi with wide eyes. “Ahh! Sorry Kashi, I didn’t mean to make you nervous too.” Bokuto said taking a seat on the couch next to Akaashi.

“So, what’s wrong Bokuto-san?” Akaashi repeated the question, scared of the answer he might get.

“Nothing’s really wrong. I just wanted to tell you something, and it is making me really nervous. I just don’t know where to start!” Bokuto let out an exasperated sigh.

“Bokuto-san, don’t be so nervous. You can always tell me anything.” Akaashi gave the other a soft smile.

“Okay!” Bokuto took a deep breath before continuing. “Akaashi I’m in love with you.”

Akaashi’s eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped open. He was shocked and surprised, and it was written all over his face. Bokuto is what? Maybe I heard him wrong Akaashi thought to himself. He was trying to rationalize everything, but nothing was adding up and his brain was too fried to work properly. Akaashi wanted nothing more than for his feelings to be returned, but he had convinced himself that it would never happen, that Bokuto only thought of him as a best friend and nothing more. After a long pause Akaashi noticed that Bokuto was staring at him. Oh shit! He was probably waiting for a reply. Ah! What do I do? What do I say? I love him too, but my heart wasn’t ready for this. His confession was too sudden. Akaashi was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of Bokuto’s voice.

“And I know you feel the same. You don’t have to admit it or tell me right now, but I thought it was important that I share my feelings with you before the next thing that I am going to tell you…” Bokuto was cut of by Akaashi.

“Wait you knew? H-how did you know?”

“Ummm… well that was what I was about to explain next.” Bokuto said shyly.

“Right! Sorry, please continue Bokuto-san.”

“Well it turns out that I have imprinted on you, and I have been getting waves of strong emotions from you…”

Akaashi froze, and all his previous feelings of happiness had been thrown out the door. He didn’t know what to say. For how long had Bokuto been able to feel his emotions? For how long had they been bound together without him even realizing it? Was this a good thing? Akaashi tried to remember back to Bokuto’s first explanation of imprinting and imprinted pairs. Wasn’t this supposed to be a thing between werewolves? Then Akaashi recalled Kuroo asking if it was possible between a human and a werewolf, and Akaashi paled as he remembered Bokuto’s response. He had said it might be possible but that the bond would be more of a one-way street, incomplete, and that it might cause some problems for the werewolf.

“Bokuto-san I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“What? Wait, why? Akaashi please don’t apologize for your feelings.”

“But if I had never fallen in love with you maybe, you wouldn’t have to suffer with this incomplete bond.”

“Akaashi! Don’t say that. Sure, it isn’t like other bonds between imprinted pairs, but it’s just different not better and most definitely not worse.”

“But didn’t you say the wolf might struggle with the human’s overwhelming emotions? Wait is that why you were having panic attacks? Was I causing them? Oh my god, I can’t believe this is happening, I never even thought about the consequences of my selfish feelings.”

“Akaashi! That’s enough!” Bokuto’s voice was loud and deep and filled the whole house gaining Akaashi’s attention. “Look, I love you. I know you love me too, otherwise this whole bond thing wouldn't have happened. If you want, we can make this work, we can figure it out together with the help of everyone else too. If you don’t…” Bokuto was once again cut off by Akaashi.

“No! Bokuto-san don’t even think that way. I want to. I love you! I want to make this work.”

“Really? You know you don't have to say it back if you aren't ready. We can take things slowly.”

“Really. I meant what I said.”

“Great! I love you Kashi!” Bokuto cheered loudly.

“I love you too Bokuto-san. But this means that you will have to tell me when you are feeling overwhelmed and I will have to get a better handle on my emotions if this is going to work."

“Okay Kashi, I promise!”

“I promise to do my best too.”

Bokuto reached out and caressed Akaashi’s cheek in his rough hands. Akaashi leaned into the older man’s touch, closed his eyes and sighed happily. He still felt a little guilty for his part in overwhelming Bokuto, and Bokuto noticed Akaashi’s slight hesitance.

“Akaashi, may I kiss you?” Bokuto asked.

Akaashi blushed and turned away slightly before nodding. Bokuto moved his hand from Akaashi’s cheek to his chin and tilted the other’s head so he was facing him head on. Bokuto gazed softly into those beautiful forest green eyes and leaned in close pressing their lips together. Akaashi closed his eyes and leaned further into the kiss, pushing back against Bokuto. Bokuto’s lips were plump and soft, they felt nice pressed against Akaashi’s rough chapped ones. Akaashi raised his arms to wrap them around Bokuto’s neck while he scooted closer. Bokuto broke the kiss for a breath before Akaashi was pulling him back in for another one. Bokuto was taken by surprise at first but soon regained his composure and swiped his tongue across Akaashi’s bottom lip. Akaashi took this as a gesture of asking for permission to deepen the kiss. He complied without hesitation, parting his lips slightly so Bokuto’s tongue could slip in. Bokuto allowed his tongue to explore every inch of the other’s mouth. When they broke apart for the second time, they were both panting hard and a string of saliva connected their mouths together. Akaashi’s eyes were gleaming and staring right into Bokuto’s with an intensity he had never seen from Akaashi.

“I have been waiting a long time to do that.” Akaashi said.

Bokuto's skin heated up and his face glowed red. Akaashi released his hold around the other’s neck and rested his head on Bokuto’s broad muscular shoulders. He was happy. Kuroo walked in the door shortly after the others’ exchange. He took in the sight of the two cuddling on the couch and couldn’t hold back his teasing. Although, his two roommates cuddled up on the couch together wasn't an unusual sight, this time it seemed different. They both looked happy in way Kuroo had never seen before, and he knew Bokuto was going to talk with Akaashi today. Judging by the scene before him, things must have gone well. He had been waiting the longest for the two of them to finally get together and couldn’t help but feel happy for them. They truly made each other happy, and Kuroo wished that one day he would have what they did.

“How are the love birds this evening?” Kuroo asked in a teasing tone, moving to join them on the couch.

“Shut up Tetsu!” Bokuto exclaimed jostling Akaashi still leaning on his shoulder.

Akaashi had completely ignored Kuroo, not even glancing up to acknowledge his presence. After being jostled by Bokuto’s outburst he simply readjusted himself and snuggled his head closer into the crook of Bokuto’s neck. Kuroo took notice of Akaashi’s lack of attention paid to his previous question. Kuroo smirked to himself knowing one that would get a reaction out of his usually stoic friend.

“So then, have the two of you had sex yet, or what?” Kuroo asked nonchalantly.

Both Bokuto and Akaashi blushed furiously.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Kuroo teased.

“No!” Bokuto exclaimed.

“None of your business.” Akaashi stated flatly at the same time as Bokuto yelled no, blush still present on both of their faces.

“Guess it’s a no then.” Kuroo smirked earning him an eyeroll from Akaashi. “Don’t worry kiddos there is still plenty of time.” Kuroo teased.

“Kuroo-san enough please.” Akaashi said regaining his composure, all signs that he had previously been flustered gone.

It only lasted a moment, but Kuroo had been able to make his quiet stoic friend blush and become all flustered. That was a win in his mind. As Akaashi settled himself back onto Bokuto's shoulder, Kuroo quit his teasing and smiled fondly at the two. They both deserved each other. They both deserved all the happiness in the world, and he was glad he was there to see it. Akaashi finally had someone that understood him, someone that didn't overlook how amazing he was just because his outward appearance and reactions all seemed cold and emotionless. The truth was Akaashi was far from emotionless; he just had a hard time dealing with those emotions, and Bokuto was proof of that. The panic attacks that Bokuto had been experiencing were proof of how deep Akaashi's emotions ran. Then there was Bokuto, his best bro who deserved the world. His kindness, and brilliant heart shone through even in the darkest times. The man had experienced a sort of hell, that Kuroo couldn't even begin to imagine, and yet he had come out stronger than ever. Akaashi was the white wolf's world, and Kuroo had no doubts that Akaashi could truly make Bokuto the happiest person alive. As far as he was concerned, his friends were perfect, and he wouldn't trade them for anything.

* * *

Kuroo and Konoha finished their breakfast before heading out for the day. Bokuto finished his own breakfast and plopped himself down on the couch in front of the TV. Bokuto had never been one to watch much TV, partly because he didn’t have one when he lived in his village, but even if he did have one, he probably wouldn’t have used it much. He always had something to do in the village whether it was cleaning, cooking, playing with the kids, training himself or helping others. There was always something to do. Now that he didn’t have work, he found the hours between when Kuroo and Konoha left and until Akaashi woke up were long and boring. He was not the type of person to sit still for very long, and it killed him to have nothing to do for those few hours when he was alone. So, he took up watching some stupid TV shows to fill the time. Today, however, Akaashi surprised him by waking up only twenty minutes after Kuroo and Konoha left for school.

“Good morning Bokuto-san.” Akaashi called to him in a tired croaky voice.

“Ah! Kashi, you’re up early. I don’t even have your coffee ready yet!”

Akaashi tiredly strolled over to the couch and took his place next to Bokuto. Bokuto jumped off the couch and made his way to the kitchen to brew Akaashi’s morning coffee. Akaashi gave him a sleepy smile as he walked past him towards the kitchen. Bokuto came back a few minutes later with a hot mug of coffee in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. He sat down next to Akaashi and handed the sleepy head his coffee.

“Thank you, Bokuto-san. You know you really don’t have to do this for me every morning.”

“Awe, Kashi! But I want to.” Bokuto whined.

After finishing his coffee Akaashi placed the mug on the coffee table in front of them and cuddled up closer to Bokuto’s side. Bokuto placed his half-finished tea down on the coffee table and wrapped an arm around Akaashi.

“Shouldn’t you be doing your schoolwork now that you’ve had your coffee?” Bokuto whispered into the other’s ear.

“I can do that anytime. My professors never gave me any due dates; they said as long as everything is done by the end of the semester it was fine.”

“Akaashi! You shouldn’t put off all your work until the last minute or you’ll fall behind. You’re a really good student and you have great grades, don’t throw that all away.”

Akaashi let out a small chuckle. “Don’t worry Bokuto-san, I don’t plan on leaving everything to the last minute and I won’t fall behind. I just thought I would take a little bit of time and spend it with you, unless you don’t want to.”

“No! of course I want to spend time with you! I mean who wouldn’t? You’re amazing Kashi!”

Akaashi laid his head on Bokuto’s shoulder and Bokuto’s head darted back to the TV. Akaashi stared at the side of Bokuto’s head hoping the white-haired male would return his gaze. When that failed to get Bokuto’s attention, Akaashi leaned over and pressed his lips to other’s neck. The kiss was placed just under the older male’s jaw line where his scent glands were. An instant sweet smell filled the room, but instead of the usual caramel apple smell Bokuto’s scent seemed to have changed. It still smelled sweet, but it was a lot warmer now, almost like the sun. Bokuto whipped his head around to face Akaashi, bewildered by his actions. Akaashi’s lips tugged upwards into a small smile and he moved himself forward and took Bokuto’s ear lobe between his teeth, tugging gently. Bokuto’s face became flushed and red; he could feel himself burning up. It was unlike Akaashi to be so bold, but he really liked seeing new sides of the person he loved that he hadn’t known about before. Akaashi pressed his lips to Bokuto's skin, trailing soft tender kisses from his ear all the way down his neck. When Akaashi looked back up at Bokuto he had the man’s full attention.

“K-kashi, what was that for?” Bokuto stuttered.

Akaashi didn’t bother to give him a response, he simply pulled Bokuto into a deep kiss. Akaashi pushed his tongue forcefully into Bokuto’s mouth, catching him off guard. It took a minute for him to adjust but once he did, Bokuto kissed him back with just as much force and fervour. Akaashi leaned back on the couch until he was laying flat on the cushions pulling Bokuto down on top of him. Akaashi’s hands traveled up to mess around with Bokuto’s tangled two-toned hair. The white-haired man broke the kiss only for a moment before going back in for another one. He nibbled at Akaashi’s bottom lip earning him a gasp from the person beneath him. Bokuto got excited at hearing that sound from Akaashi. Wanting to hear more sounds from the other man, Bokuto kissed his way down Akaashi’s neck throwing in a couple nips every once in awhile. Akaashi’s hands gripped Bokuto’s hair tighter and he let out a soft moan. Bokuto traced back up Akaashi’s neck to lick and nibble at his ear. His teeth gently pinched the skin on the helix of Akaashi’s ear all the way down to the lobe. The younger male turned his head to press his cheek against Bokuto’s, and Bokuto took his teeth and ran them quickly down Akaashi’s neck until he reached his collar bone where he bit down harder. Akaashi shivered at the sensation and another moan was dragged out of him.

Akaashi appeared to be particularly sensitive on his ears and neck, and that made Bokuto even more excited and eager to please his partner. Bokuto’s left hand traveled up under Akaashi’s shirt to rest on his chest as he pressed another kiss to Akaashi’s lips. Akaashi pressed into the kiss, thoroughly enjoying feeling so close to Bokuto in a way he never thought he would be able to. Bokuto’s hand wandered across Akaashi’s chest and down to his slim but still nicely toned stomach. But his hand froze when he felt over a bandage and then suddenly, he pulled himself off Akaashi. Akaashi’s eyes shot open at the suddenness of Bokuto’s retreat, and he gazed upon a slightly worried Bokuto. Bokuto's golden eyes were blown wide and his white eyebrows furrowed creating a worried expression across his face. Akaashi sat up on the couch to face Bokuto with a calm expression.

“You didn’t hurt me Bokuto-san. My wounds honestly don’t hurt much anymore so you don’t have to worry.”

“I’m sorry Akaashi I got a little overexcited. We really shouldn’t be doing anything until you are fully healed and recovered.”

“Bokuto-san, please. Like I said, I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt at all I promise.”

“That’s because you are still taking pain medication Kashi. You aren’t even supposed to be getting out of bed much yet. So maybe we should just hold off on anything too strenuous. I don't want you to aggravate your injuries.”

Akaashi gave Bokuto a pointed glare but knew better than to argue with him when he was being so adamant about something. “Fine.” Akaashi sighed.

Bokuto grabbed one of Akaashi’s hands and pulled him closer giving him a quick peck on the cheek. A wide grin spread across his face and his eyes shone brightly.

“Good!” Bokuto cheered. “Now you should really get to work on your studies. Wait here! I’ll go grab your laptop!” Bokuto skipped away happily to retrieve Akaashi’s laptop.

Bokuto returned with Akaashi’s laptop, a pillow, and blanket borrowed from Akaashi’s room. Bokuto sat back down on the couch and handed Akaashi the blanket and pillow so he could get comfortable. Akaashi placed the pillow down on Bokuto’s lap before spreading out across the couch with his head on Bokuto’s lap and the blanket covering his legs and torso. Bokuto handed Akaashi his computer and Akaashi a to slightly reposition himself into a more upright position so he could still do his work. He was now leaning up against the muscular man's side with the pillow supporting his laptop. Bokuto ran a hand through the other’s silky, curled, ebony locks. Akaashi hummed in approval before getting started on his lessons for the day. He couldn’t help but feel extremely relaxed and comfortable with Bokuto’s touch. He leaned his head back into the older man’s touch as he worked away. He felt unusually calm, and his mind was crystal clear, and it was so easy for Akaashi to concentrate. Probably just another effect Bokuto had on him, and it felt so nice.

* * *

A couple of days later Akaashi had his first doctor’s appointment since he left the hospital. Bokuto drove him to the hospital and accompanied him inside for the appointment at Akaashi’s request. The doctor removed the bandages on Akaashi’s stomach, chest and back. The wounds on his chest were of lesser concern compared to the other ones but they were still big and deep enough that they required bandages and medical cream to help prevent infection. The claw marks on his back were quite a bit deeper and longer, some stretching the entire length of his back. The wounds on his stomach were probably the most concerning; chunks of his flesh had been ripped out by teeth, and the claw marks were particularly deep there, needing stitches. The doctor said that they were healing up nicely without any signs of infection, but that it would take more time. The doctor cleaned the wounds which caused stinging pain to run up Akaashi’s spine making him wince under the discomfort. Bokuto took Akaashi’s hand and squeezed it, lightly rubbing his thumb over the top of Akaashi’s hand for reassurance.

Once all the wounds were clean, the doctor redressed them in bandages that nearly covered Akaashi’s entire back, a couple spots on his chest, and the stitches on his stomach. The doctor informed Akaashi that he still shouldn’t be doing any strenuous activities, still resting in bed for about another week. Although, Akaashi's wounds would take longer to heal, the doctor said that Akaashi was looking much better overall compared to last week. The week before he had still felt super weak from his blood loss, his skin sickly pale, and his eyes seemed dim without any sparks of life in them. Since then his complexion was looking much better (back to its naturally pale color), and his beautiful green eyes were practically glowing with life even when he sported his neutral flat expression. When they got back home Bokuto ushered Akaashi into his room and under the covers. The older man brought him some coffee, water, and his laptop. Akaashi tried to complain, telling Bokuto he was fine and didn’t need to be doted on, but Bokuto ignored the complaints and crawled into the bed next to him. Akaashi immediately shut up as Bokuto shuffled closer to him until they were just barely touching. With a loud sigh Akaashi gave in and began his schoolwork.

Bokuto had gotten so comfortable in the bed next to Akaashi that he had almost fallen asleep instantly. Akaashi glanced over a couple times from his work to admire Bokuto’s adorable sleeping face; he looked so peaceful and cute, and his usually spiky hair was falling down into his face in front of his closed eyelids. Akaashi brushed Bokuto’s untamed hair out of his face before returning his attention to his work. A couple hours later Bokuto woke up with Akaashi fast asleep in his arms laying on top of him. Akaashi’s laptop was still sitting on the bed in front of them. Bokuto carefully grabbed the laptop to check the time without waking up his sleeping partner. It was around the time Kuroo should be getting home. Bokuto quickly skimmed through Akaashi’s work noticing he got a fair amount done, so he made sure to save it before turning it off and placing it on the side table all without moving the man on top of him. When Kuroo got home and his roommates were no where to be seen in the kitchen or the living room, he peeked his head inside Akaashi’s room to find the two snuggled up together. Bokuto was stuck underneath a sleeping Akaashi. When he heard his roommate approaching, Bokuto turned his head to look at the door Kuroo had creaked open. Kuroo chuckled quietly with a teasing grin playing on his lips. Bokuto ever so gently shifted Akaashi off of him, so he could get up to make dinner, and Akaashi wriggled around for a minute readjusting himself while Bokuto held his breath hoping he didn’t wake him. Once Akaashi was settled he let out the breath he was holding and went to get up, but before he could get into a sitting position Akaashi mumbled Bokuto’s name in his sleep, and his hand gripped at the back of Bokuto's shirt.

Kuroo chuckled again. “It’s alright Bo you stay in bed with your lover. I’ll order something for us to eat.”

“Thanks bro.” Bokuto gave the other a nod before the door closed again.

Bokuto slipped back into the bed pulling Akaashi closer. In response Akaashi flipped onto his side to face Bokuto; Still asleep Akaashi snuggled up against the other’s firm chest basking in his warmth. Akaashi nuzzled his face into Bokuto’s scent gland causing him to release his sweet sunshine like scent. Akaashi’s breaths began to deepen as he took in the strong scent of the sun. Bokuto couldn’t help but smile at how affectionate Akaashi was being, a smile reserved only for him. Then Bokuto picked up a strong scent coming from Akaashi. It was that sweet warm smell that he could never put a name to before, but in that moment Bokuto realized it was the scent of love, and it warmed his heart as he drifted back off to sleep again.

Later on, they were both woken up by Kuroo who just finished paying the delivery guy for their food. The two sluggishly made their way to the table to eat. It was a nice feeling to be eating together like this. Akaashi felt refreshed after the good nap he had taken accidently. He didn't even notice when he had started falling asleep, but it didn't matter. In that moment he was content to fall asleep next to the person he loved most in this world. Even now a simple dinner felt better having Bokuto there beside him. And as much of a pain in the ass as Kuroo could be, Akaashi was thankful for him too. They were really becoming family, and for the first time Akaashi realized what family truly meant to him. He had a really good childhood because his parents were nice people, but he did often find himself alone with their long hours at the clinic. He never felt unloved, but he also never felt very attached to them either. Don't get it wrong, he did love them very much. But being in the presence of his two amazing roommates seemed to give him a new meaning to the word family. As they ate, his thoughts continued to wander over the people who had recently come into his life; they were all his family now, and he simply loved it. 

* * *

Akaashi had been feeling a lot less sore lately even without the pain medication. Just yesterday the doctor had given him the okay to do to a little bit more than lay in bed all day. He was supposed to take short walks around the house every so often to slowly get his strength back. He still wasn’t allowed any strenuous activity, or to carry anything too heavy, but he was allowed to take short walks. This allowed him some much-missed fresh air every once in awhile, and it also convinced Bokuto that he was well enough for a visit from everyone else. Everyone had been dying to stop by and visit Akaashi but Bokuto had been really strict about staying in bed, resting, and doing his schoolwork. So Akaashi was excited, when Bokuto finally decided it would be alright for him to see everybody today. Akaashi normally wasn’t a fan of crowds or lots of people, but it was different with this group; It was different among family. They really were like family to him, he felt comfortable around them, and they never seemed to be too overwhelming despite some of the big personalities.

Once everyone arrived, they all gave their greetings to Akaashi; no hugs or anything on Bokuto’s request so that they didn’t hurt him. Akaashi insisted he was fine and that they wouldn’t hurt him, but he was secretly thankful nobody had come up to hug him. He was feeling strangely uncomfortable with so many people around, despite usually feeling very comfortable around this group. This was the first time he was around so many people after the incident, so his discomfort probably had something to do with that. He wasn't expecting to feel that way at all, so it took him by surprise when he had. Akaashi pushed the subtle feeling down and tried to enjoy himself. He really had missed them, despite the uncomfortable feelings that were bubbling deep inside the pit of his stomach.

The four other werewolves noticed Akaashi’s scent had changed the minute they walked through the door. The four of them kept sending the ebony-haired boy questioning glances and then looking between each other as if to confirm that the others picked up on the change. Akaashi’s usual lavender and sage smell was mixed very strongly with that of Bokuto’s caramel apple one, but it radiated a certain intenseness that usually wasn't present.

“Sure, seems like Kou-chan is getting awfully possessive.” Oikawa commented earning an eye roll from Akaashi.

“No, I haven’t.” Bokuto whined.

Kuroo, Iwaizumi, and Suga unable to smell the same things the werewolves could looked between each other confused. They were completely out of the loop and had no idea what was going on, so Kuroo decided to have the others clarify.

“What do you mean? If anything, I’ve noticed Akaashi being clingy towards Bo.” Kuroo said.

Akaashi shot a glare at Kuroo. “Shut up!” He hissed.

“Well, well, well, Kou-chan sure doesn’t seem to mind considering how much he has scented him.” Oikawa teased.

Oikawa clearly remembered his lesson on scenting. Bokuto taught him that by rubbing your scent glands on someone or something you could leave your scent their along with a certain message depending on the intentions of the one leaving the scent. Bokuto’s desperate need to be by Akaashi’s side was present in the scent left on Akaashi. There was also a certain possessiveness that clearly told other wolves to back the hell off. Whether that was due to Bokuto being overly protective after the incident or true possessive behaviour Oikawa wasn’t sure yet. Akaashi now understood what Oikawa was referring to; he had been rubbing himself against Bokuto’s scent glands because the smell it released made him feel relaxed and safe. He forgot that other werewolves would be able to smell it on him. Akaashi blushed as he glanced over at Bokuto.

“Wow Aka-chan, I never knew you could be so sweet and vulnerable.” Oikawa teased.

Akaashi froze and the blush faded from his cheeks, instead his whole face went pale, ghostly white. Vulnerable, was that really how he appeared just then? As if he had just realized he was in a room surrounded by other werewolves his body started shaking. the earlier small uncomfortableness turning into fear. He couldn't allow himself to be vulnerable in front of other werewolves, or it might happen again.

“Akaashi, are you alright?” Bokuto called out to him from across the room.

Akaashi couldn’t answer him. His body was frozen to the spot and he couldn’t get any words out. Oikawa who was the closest to Akaashi rushed to his friend’s side. When he got their he noticed the intense fear held within the other's eyes. Oikawa reached out to simultaneously stop the shaking and comfort his friend at the same time, but Akaashi slapped his hand away. It all happened so fast it was practically on instinct.

“D-don’t t-touch me.” Akaashi stammered. “Just don’t touch me.” He repeated.

Oikawa looked hurt but backed off anyways. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Hinata was about to bound forward and assist his friend but Suga reached out just in time to hold him back. Everyone’s eyes were now on Akaashi, and he was standing in the middle of the room surrounded by people’s intense stares. He felt incredibly uncomfortable now, more than uncomfortable, he felt scared. His body wouldn’t quit shaking, and he felt incredibly afraid. Bokuto was starting to feel the brunt of Akaashi’s emotions now, waves of fear were hitting him like tidal waves. Bokuto then did what he had been practicing and reached out through the bond to try and calm the other for both of their sakes. When the fear refused to subside, Bokuto stepped forward cautiously and calmly making his way across the room towards Akaashi.

“Kashi. Hey, you alright? You’re among friends. I promise they won’t hurt you.” Bokuto said in his most calming voice.

Akaashi remained frozen to the spot and trembling uncontrollably a minute longer. Then suddenly he lunged forward towards Bokuto clinging onto the older male’s shirt. Akaashi buried his face into Bokuto’s chest and began crying.

“P-Promise?” Akaashi sobbed.

“I promise. I will protect you.” Bokuto said firmly.

Bokuto wrapped his thick strong arms around Akaashi. The ebony-haired male nuzzled his face into Bokuto’s scent glands; a habit he had recently developed to calm himself down. Bokuto’s strong sweet caramel apple scent began to fill the room. It was quite calming to the other wolves present and they all started to relax. As the werewolves started to relax it caused a chain reaction that in turn relaxed the humans who weren’t affected by Bokuto’s calming scent. Akaashi finally quit crying and began taking in the sweet sunshine scent of his boyfriend, finding comfort and safety being wrapped up in his arms. Akaashi was the only one who seemed to notice the change in Bokuto’s scent from caramel apples to sunshine. Or maybe he was the only one capable of smelling it, a special scent just for him, now that they were both aware that they were an imprinted pair bonded together for life.

Protectiveness, Oikawa thought to himself, his previous question being answered. It was protectiveness that Bokuto felt not possessiveness. And I am guessing he feels that for all of us the way the sweet scent hits our noses. If Bokuto had deemed anyone in the room a threat to his precious Akaashi, his scent would have reflected that and fiercely burned their noses. Bokuto released Akaashi from his tight hold once he felt the younger had completely relaxed.

“Are you alright now, or would you like to go lie down?” Bokuto asked Akaashi.

“I am alright now. Thank you, Bokuto-san.”

As Akasshi parted from Bokuto’s embrace, the werewolf’s scent dissipated, and the room returned to normal. Everyone having been calmed by that lovely scent remained in a relaxed state of mind. Oikawa, however, still remained hurt over Akaashi’s response to him earlier. He knew in his head that Akaashi’s response was probably just to werewolves in general, but he couldn’t help feeling that if his friend truly trusted him, he wouldn’t have reacted that way. His feelings were picked up by his boyfriend, who placed a strong comforting hand on Oikawa’s back. Bokuto also seemed to have picked up on them because he brought Akaashi over to him and Iwaizumi. Oikawa felt the need to step back and give them some space, but Bokuto’s face splitting smile kept him glued in place. With red puffy eyes Akaashi looked up to meet his friend’s soft brown eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Akaashi apologized. “I promise I’m not afraid of you. I just had a moment and the memories of what happened came rushing back to me. You just surprised me when you got so close so fast.”

Oikawa gave Akaashi a soft genuine smile. “It’s okay Aka-chan. I know you went through a lot, and you almost died, but just so you know Kou-chan isn’t the only one willing to protect you. I think I speak for everyone in this room when I say we would all protect you no matter what. We are a family after all.”

Akaashi’s eyes lit up and tears streamed down his cheeks once again. He was wearing such a beautiful smile Oikawa could swear he was standing before the most beautiful person in the world even as a crying mess. Akaashi thanked Oikawa for his words before wrapping him in a tight hug. The whole room cheered and Bokuto gave Oikawa a grateful look that Akaashi and the others couldn’t see. Bokuto turned and walked back to the kitchen leaving Akaashi in Oikawa’s presence so he could finish making dinner. In that moment Oikawa felt so happy and loved, it was almost overwhelming. He was beside his boyfriend of five years who he adored greatly. He was surrounded by others that he loved. The others that he called family. It spoke volumes about how much Bokuto and Akaashi trusted him. For his friends who had recently been through a very scary trauma and nearly died to be hugging him like this, and for the proud overprotective Bokuto to leave the love of his life tucked in hug with him. It just showed how much he was trusted. Oikawa really didn’t need to be worried after all. The rest of the night was great. They had all really needed this time to come together as a family. Their precious time together was treasured by everyone in the room. 

Later that night Akaashi had woken up screaming, and Kuroo and Bokuto were both at his bed side in an instant asking what was wrong. Akaashi had a nightmare of the incident that occurred over two weeks ago. He had been having them frequently since he got home from the hospital, but he hadn’t mentioned them because he didn’t want to be anymore of a burden on the others than he already was. He kept silent, most of the nightmares hadn’t ended with him screaming; therefore, it was simply a matter of not telling anyone he had been experiencing them. Instead he would sleep as much as possible in Bokuto’s arms in the morning and try to limit his sleep at night. When he was with Bokuto it was the only time he could sleep peacefully. He must have been too tired after visiting with everyone to pay attention to limiting his sleeping. That’s probably why he had such a vivid dream of that night and woke up screaming.

“What happened Kashi?” Bokuto asked worriedly.

“Just a nightmare. I will be fine soon.”

Kuroo looked over to Bokuto asking if he could handle this. He had to wake up early tomorrow for school and was far too tired to be of any assistance. Bokuto nodded, and Kuroo returned to his room. Bokuto slipped into the bed next to Akaashi without asking knowing the other might reject his offer due to thinking he was causing trouble for Bokuto. The older man wrapped his arms around Akaashi and they both fell asleep.

The next day Akaashi worked on a lot of schoolwork trying to take his mind of the nightmare of last night. Bokuto brought him food in bed along with some coffee and water. He and Apple Pie stayed by Akaashi’s side for the whole day despite watching him do school being pretty boring. The topic of the nightmare never came up again for the rest of the week.

* * *

Today was the last day Akaashi would get to spend at home alone with Bokuto. Tomorrow Bokuto would be returning to work, and Akaashi would be staying at home alone all day. Well at least that was the plan as long as the doctor gave Akaashi the okay to get back to his daily routine. Akaashi discreetly wished the doctor would tell him he still needed more time so that Bokuto could stay home with him for at least another week. It had been three weeks since the incident now, and Akaashi was still anxious to be separated from Bokuto; not that he would ever openly admit it because he knew that if he did, Bokuto would drop everything for him. That was a nice feeling, but Akaashi hated being the thing holding Bokuto back. This time Akaashi had told Bokuto to wait for him in the waiting room while he saw the doctor alone. When the doctor came in, he removed all the bandages. The wounds on his chest had already completely healed up. Since his last visit they hadn’t even been rebandaged. The wounds on his back were more or less healed, and today was the day he could get his stiches out. The doctor came in and looked over the wounds littering Akaashi’s body; he said that everything was healing as planned and that he could take the stitches out. After the stitches were out Akaashi no longer had to worry about ripping them so he was able to go back to life as usual.

“You should be good to complete normal everyday activities, you no longer have to stay on bed rest, and I recommend daily walks and moving around to slowly build back your strength. If they start hurting more than usual, please come back and see me. Do you have any questions?” The doctor said.

“Ummm… could sex be considered normal everyday activities? Because my partner refused to do anything until I was recovered enough.” Akaashi asked awkwardly.

The doctor gave him a small chuckle. “Your partner sounds like a smart person. It would have been a shame if the healing process took longer because you ripped a couple stitches. And Yes, you are totally clear to start doing any kinds of activities including sex. But you might still be sore for a little longer so please take it slow.” The doctor responded with a smile.

“Oh and is there anything for…” Akaashi trailed off. “Oh never mind.”

“Are you sure?” The doctor asked.

“Yes, I’m sure. Everything else is good.”

“Alright. If you have any more questions or concerns or you start experiencing pain or anything else, you want to talk about feel free to make an appointment or contact me. I hope this is the last time I see you here. Please take care of yourself.”

Akaashi waved goodbye to his doctor as he exited the room. For a moment he had thought about asking the doctor for something for his nightmares, since Bokuto wouldn’t be home with him much anymore. For some reason he couldn’t bring himself to admit that he was still afraid even after three weeks had gone by. I guess he would just have to deal with the nightmares on his own. Bokuto joyfully skipped over to Akaashi the moment he spotted him in the waiting room. The two headed home and spent their last remaining day cuddling on the couch, taking a short walk through the park Akaashi had taken Bokuto that one time, and grabbing a bite to eat at the café. It was nice to be able to get back to a normal everyday life.

* * *

The next couple of days were pretty hard on Akaashi. Bokuto had returned to work, so Akaashi had to spend the days alone. He had to make his own coffee because he didn’t wake up early enough to see Bokuto before he left. He had to figure out his own lunch and snacks because Bokuto wasn’t there to cook for him. He had to try harder to concentrate on his schoolwork because Bokuto’s calming presence wasn’t there to clear his mind and put him at ease. The worst part though was that he couldn’t take naps during the day because Bokuto wasn’t there. Which also meant he had to try and sleep at night, which brought about many horrific nightmares. As soon as Bokuto and Kuroo got home, Akaashi would stick to Bokuto like glue, soaking up every last ounce of his good energy until it was time for them to sleep. Bokuto obviously noticed how clingy Akaashi had gotten because he offered to stay with Akaashi at night so he wouldn’t have anymore nightmares. Akaashi would brush him off and insisted that the nightmare was a one-time thing, but that was a lie. The nightmares had continued, maybe even getting worse after Bokuto had gone back to work. Akaashi remained stubborn and insisted he was fine, so Bokuto didn’t push any farther on the matter.

One night, Akaashi’s resolve finally broke. After a particularly vivid nightmare of the incident in which fake details were added on, such as, losing Bokuto because he actually died that day. Akaashi couldn’t take it anymore. He crawled out of bed and tiptoed his way to Bokuto’s room. Without even Knocking Akaashi let himself in, closed the door behind him, and curled up in bed next to Bokuto. Bokuto who was still half asleep warmly welcomed his guest into his arms. It almost felt as if Bokuto had been waiting for this to happen the whole time. Bokuto was indeed waiting for this moment all along, he never believed Akaashi’s lies for a second. He knew the ebony-haired man suffered from nightmares every night because he would get waves of anxiety or fear, or loneliness in the middle of the night. Bokuto also knew there would have been no point in pushing Akaashi on the matter if he was set on denying that he needed help. So, instead he waited until Akaashi came to him. Which proved to be the right decision because Akaashi did come to him seeking comfort; it had taken him all week, but he did end up coming in the end. That proved to Bokuto that Akaashi did in fact trust him and would come to him if he ever needed help. Bokuto’s goal was for it to happen sooner next time, perhaps before Akaashi had to endure something so scary alone. But, for now this was a good start; Bokuto was proud of his lover for seeking the help that he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the seventeenth chapter:
> 
> \- After the weekend of the incident everyone went back to their daily lives with slight changes so they could can visit Akaashi at the hospital. Several days after the incident Akaashi finally wakes up.  
> \- They discuss what they should do about the pack and decide to leave the matter alone until they come up with a good plan. Everything seems relatively quiet and they think it's possible Ushijima will leave them alone now that he realizes he is outnumbered.  
> \- He is discharged from the hospital but he has to stay on bed rest for a good week. Bokuto takes time off to stay with him while he recovers.  
> \- Akaashi visits the university to inform his professors of his situation and they allow him to do everything online from home.  
> \- Bokuto tells Akaashi how he feels and that they are now an imprinted pair. They decide they want to be together and work everything out.  
> \- Bokuto and Akaashi spend a lot of time together just cuddling while Akaashi does his school work. Bokuto also kisses him once, and then another time Akaashi kisses him but when he tries to take it a little further Bokuto stops him in fear of hurting Akaashi who isn't completely healed yet.  
> \- Bokuto takes Akaashi to his weekly doctor appointments and everything is healing well. And slowly Akaashi is able to get back to doing normal daily activities.  
> \- The family came and visited Akaashi after some time. Akaashi had an episode where he remembered the incident and freaked out at Oikawa. They made up pretty quickly after that thanks to Bokuto.  
> \- Bokuto goes back to work, and Akaashi's nightmares start getting worse because Bokuto is around less, and he can't sleep without the other's presence near him. One night when Akaashi couldn't take it anymore; he climbed into bed with Bokuto and slept.


	18. Good Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Smut & Sex  
> This chapter contains a rather detailed sex scene. I have never written anything like this before, so hopefully it doesn't suck too bad. Anyways, if you don't want to read this part of the story don't start reading until after the first line, on the paragraph that starts out like 'Kuroo woke up to a completely empty house.'.

Bokuto woke up early just like usual. He was about to get out of bed and start his morning routine, when he felt something weighing him down. Bokuto gently pulled back the comforter and peered down at the weight on his chest. When a mess of curly ebony locks came into view Bokuto’s mind became clear; Akaashi had snuck into his room last night while he was still half asleep. It was a weekend and Bokuto had nowhere to be, so he decided to stay in bed a little longer so as not to wake the angel fast asleep on his chest. It was rare for Bokuto to sleep in, but he knew that Akaashi desperately needed the sleep he had been missing out on lately, and if he was honest, he liked being with Akaashi like this. Unable to go back to sleep Bokuto remained trapped under the sleeping angel gently stroking his hair and appreciating the time they got to spend together. Since he had returned to work, he and Akaashi had spent a lot less time together and it made him more appreciative of moments like this one. An hour passed by in the blink of an eye and Akaashi never stirred; the ebony-haired man looked so peaceful fast asleep in Bokuto’s arms, so peaceful that he didn’t have the heart to wake the other up just yet. Kuroo would have to suffer and find himself some breakfast.

Bokuto could hear whining coming from the kitchen. He was thankful that his room wasn’t part of the main house because he was positive Kuroo’s wailing would have woken up Akaashi. Then there were loud footsteps and the front door slammed. Bokuto chuckled softly: Kuroo was probably mad at him and decided to go to the café instead of waiting for him to get up. Akaashi shifted around on Bokuto’s chest after feeling the vibrations through the others chest when he chuckled, but he was still too exhausted and fell still once more. Bokuto let out a sigh of relief as Akaashi settled back down still asleep. An hour later and Bokuto was far too fidgeting to stay in bed any longer; he was a morning person and usually took early morning runs to get rid of some energy and freshen himself up. The only reason he had even been able to stay in bed for this long was because he desperately wanted to let Akaashi sleep longer, but he could only keep himself still for so long before he became fidgety and needed to move. Bokuto gently squeezed his way out from under the sleeping angel. He placed Akaashi’s head on a pillow before getting off the bed.

Akaashi could feel himself being moved around and then there a was dip in the bed and the previous warmth he had felt was gone. Dark green eyes slowly blinked open filled with sleep and still cloudy trying to adjust to the light. When Akaashi sat up and his eyes finally adjusted, he saw Bokuto standing in front of him shirtless. Akaashi rubbed his eyes getting rid of the remaining sleep in his eyes and looked at Bokuto again. He was getting changed into a white tank top and shorts probably to go on his morning run. Bokuto was wearing a pair of black leg compression sleeves and stepping into his athletic shorts. When Bokuto turned to grab his white tank top off the bed his eyes met Akaashi’s. Akaashi’s face flushed slightly and he turned away after being caught staring.

“Oh Kashi, you’re awake! Sorry, did I wake you?”

“Ah, no. It’s fine Bokuto-san. I usually wake up around this time.”

“Okay! I’ll go get your coffee for you!” Bokuto yelled running out the door leaving Akaashi to stare after him.

Bokuto had completely forgotten the tank top he was going to put on before noticing Akaashi. The black-haired male couldn’t help but giggle to himself at Bokuto's enthusiasm so early in the morning, or I guess it wasn’t so early anymore. Bokuto returned with a mug of coffee still shirtless. He sat on the edge of the bed and handed the mug to Akaashi who took it gratefully. Akaashi couldn’t help but stare at Bokuto’s toned upper body over the rim of his mug as he drank. Bokuto still didn’t seem to have noticed he was missing something; he sat on the bed happily looking at his boyfriend while he drank his coffee. Akaashi was halfway finished his coffee when he decided the caffeine was no longer needed to wake him up. He carefully placed his mug on the nightstand and looked over at Bokuto, who gave him a wide toothy grin, and Akaashi couldn’t help it anymore. He beckoned his boyfriend over with his finger. Bokuto crawled across the bed to get closer.

“What is it Ka…” Bokuto was about to question.

The white-haired man’s words were cut short when Akaashi pulled him into a kiss. Akaashi parted his lips inviting Bokuto to put his tongue in and deepen the kiss. Bokuto pulled away from the kiss to catch his breath; he was also confused by the suddenness of it, not that he particularly minded. Bokuto loved kissing Akaashi. It was just strange that it happened out of no where and so soon after waking up. Akaashi was usually still half asleep for a good hour after he woke up.

“Kashi?” Bokuto asked curiously.

“I want you Bokuto-san.” Akaashi replied, his eyes lidded and filled with desire.

Bokuto was stunned for a moment before regaining his composure. “We talked about this Kashi, not until you are fully healed.”

“Tssk. My doctor already gave me the okay to return to normal everyday activities.”

Bokuto gave Akaashi a look that said ‘so?’, and Akaashi sighed. He was going to have to come out and say it straight. For how perceptive Bokuto was, he certainly could be dense sometimes.

“The doctor said it was fine for me to have sex as long as we were careful, and my injuries don't hurt. I’m fine Bokuto-san. Almost completely healed.”

Bokuto’s jaw dropped open in shock. “You really asked your doctor if you could have sex?”

Akaashi nodded, unable to look Bokuto in the eyes. It was kind of embarrassing to admit that, but it was the only way he was going to get Bokuto to believe he was alright. Bokuto’s face burned redder than Akaashi’s and suddenly that made him feel less self conscious.

“But I-I was just about to go for my run.” Bokuto stuttered, clearly trying to avoid the other topic.

“I was thinking we could make this your morning exercise.” Akaashi said seriously.

“B-but Kashi…”

“Bokuto-san do you not want to have sex with me? Because if that’s the case, I can wait until you’re ready, but could you please just tell me.”

“No, no! Sorry Kashi. I’m just kinda nervous and I’m still a little scared of hurting you.” Bokuto said, visibly deflating.

Akaashi couldn’t help but feel warmth towards his boyfriend: he could be so adorable sometimes. “You could never hurt me Bokuto-san, but I promise to let you know if any of my injuries start hurting. I’m also a little nervous. I’ve never done it with anyone before, but I really want to with you. If you want.”

Bokuto’s face broke out into a smile. “Okay! If you’re sure Kashi.”

“I am.”

Bokuto leaned over and pushed their lips together kissing him passionately. Akaashi laid back on the bed pulling Bokuto down with him until the older male was straddling the younger one. Akaashi let out a soft moan as Bokuto moved his kisses to the other’s neck. Bokuto continued to trail kisses down Akaashi’s neck until he reached a defined collar bone. Bokuto nipped at the tight skin across the bone causing his partner to gasp. Bokuto looked up into Akaashi’s eyes checking in on him; Akaashi laced his hands around Bokuto’s back encouraging him to continue. Akaashi's hand gently traced over the long scars down his partner's back, and Bokuto slid his hands under the other’s shirt feeling his firm but not overly developed muscle. Akaashi used his arms to wrap around Bokuto’s middle and pull the white-haired man closer so he could kiss him. The kiss was a lot sloppier and involved more tongue than previous one.

Akaashi broke the wet kiss for a breath while Bokuto’s hands roamed around his chest. The bandages that had previously been there were gone; there was hardly any trace left of the wounds that littered his chest. His skin was smooth, and soft under Bokuto’s rough calloused hands. Akaashi giggled as Bokuto moved his hands down to Akaashi’s toned stomach to stop above his belly button.

“Bokuto-san that tickles.”

“Sorry Kashi.” Bokuto said completely unapologetic.

Bokuto took the hem of Akaashi’s shirt between his teeth; he pulled it up and gave it to Akaashi to hold between his teeth. Bokuto placed both of his hands firmly on Akaashi’s waist holding him in place, and his tongue lapped up the lightly visible muscles on Akaashi’s stomach, tracing over their outline. Akaashi wriggled around beneath him because of the ticklish sensation on his stomach. Akaashi stilled and clenched his teeth on the material when Bokuto’s tongue made a pass over one of his nipples. Bokuto’s lips quirked into a smirk before moving one hand up from Akaashi’s waist to tease a hardening nipple, while his tongue swirled around the other.

Bokuto’s tongue was hot and wet and it left a burning sensation on Akaashi’s skin wherever it passed over. He flicked it across the perked nipple making Akaashi shudder. He then proceeded to swirl his tongue around it in circular motions while using his hand to play with and fondle the other.

“You’re pretty sensitive eh Kashi.” Bokuto teased.

Akaashi responded with a whine, the fabric between his teeth muffling the sound. He wanted more and he felt like Bokuto was dragging out his teasing. Akaashi had been waiting a long time to do this with Bokuto and he found himself growing impatient. Akaashi dropped the material between his teeth.

“Bokuto-san…” Akaashi was cut off by his own airy gasp as Bokuto bit down hard on the side of Akaashi’s hip.

“I know Kashi, be patient just a little longer.”

Akaashi nodded, and Bokuto’s hands traveled down to play with the waist band of his shorts. Akaashi pulled his shirt off over his head as Bokuto began leaving red kiss marks all over Akaashi’s stomach. Bokuto was careful to be gentle around the closed wounds that might still be sore. His hands tugged down Akaashi’s shorts and threw them somewhere in the room to be picked up later, and he raised himself up off of Akaashi who whimpered at the loss of contact between their skin. Akaashi glanced up at Bokuto who was staring down at him with bright glowing golden eyes. The yellow gaze seemed to be boring into him as he laid there naked, completely exposed. Akaashi became a little self conscious under the intense gaze of his lover, but before he could overthink things his lover’s deep sultry voice cut through the silence.

“You’re beautiful.” Bokuto said, his eyes tracing over every inch of Akaashi’s body.

Akaashi’s head turned away, his face flushed bright red, and his hands gripped the sheets on either side of him. Bokuto sure said some embarrassing things sometimes, but it made Akaashi happy. He liked it when Bokuto complemented him, even if he didn’t always show it. Akaashi’s head whipped back around to face Bokuto as he flinched at the sudden contact; Akaashi had stopped paying attention to his lover for two seconds and the white-haired man was already moping trying to get his attention back by running his hands up Akaashi's legs.

“Kashi please pay attention to me.” Bokuto whined.

“I’m paying attention Bokuto-san.” Akaashi chuckled.

Bokuto’s face lit up and his hands rubbed the insides of Akaashi’s sensitive thighs. The feeling of Bokuto’s hands on his thighs felt really nice; Akaashi spread his legs to show his approval and give his lover more access to the sensitive skin along the inside of his legs. Bokuto took that as an invitation to trail kisses up the inside of his thighs throwing in nips every other kiss. His hands moved back up to Akaashi’s hips and Bokuto’s head popped up from between Akaashi’s legs.

“Can I?” Bokuto asked looking down between Akaashi’s legs and then back up to his eyes.

Akaashi nodded spreading his legs wider to encourage the other. Bokuto’s head disappeared back down between Akaashi’s legs and then there was a hot wet feeling along the underside of his erection. A shiver ran down his spine in anticipation. Bokuto was finally giving some attention to the part of him that had been desperately craving it since they started. Akaashi placed his hands on Bokuto’s head as the man’s tongue slid up and down his shaft.

Bokuto loved the way Akaashi gripped his hair tighter before letting out a moan. Bokuto swirled his tongue around the head of Akaashi’s dick; he gently traced around the slit on the head, dragging out louder moans from his partner.

“Your voice is so sweet Kashi. Can you be louder for me?”

Just as Bokuto finished speaking he took Akaashi into his mouth. Just the tip at first and then he moved his mouth further down the shaft and then back up and then further down each time. Akaashi writhed around in pleasure trying to get more friction against his hardened cock, but Bokuto had a firm hold on his hips keeping him in place. Bokuto pumped his mouth around Akaashi’s dick at a steady rhythm taking him in as deep as he could without gaging.

“B-Bokuto-san.” Akaashi drawled.

The sound of Akaashi’s voice saying his name full of pleasure and desire turned him on more, and he quickened his pace. He bobbed his head up and down on Akaashi’s dick taking it into his mouth at different depths each time. Akaashi attempted to raise his hips and thrust into the back of Bokuto’s throat on the ones where he only took him in halfway, but Bokuto was stronger. He managed to keep Akaashi’s hips pinned to the bed. On the last one however, Bokuto released his grip on Akaashi’s hips; Akaashi tightened his hands in Bokuto’s hair and thrust hard burying his erection deep down Bokuto’s throat. This caused Bokuto to let out a strangled choking sound. Just as Akaashi was about to thrust into his mouth again, Bokuto wrapped his arms around Akaashi’s lower back keeping him pressed to the back of his throat. With another choking noise Bokuto hollowed his cheeks and sucked with all his might. Akaashi cried out in pleasure before Bokuto let him pull out and squirt cum all over his face. Bokuto was panting hard, his hair was a complete disaster, and he had thick white fluid covering his face. Akaashi sat up to look at his mess of a boyfriend. He was also panting, and he couldn’t help but think how much he liked the look of Bokuto out breath, hair frazzled, and cum on his face.

“That felt really good.” Akaashi praised.

“Really? It was my first time, so I wasn’t sure if I’d be any good.”

“You were great Bokuto-san. I loved it.”

Bokuto’s eyes lit up at the praise and it made him want to try even harder to please his lover. Akaashi and Bokuto’s breath started to even out as they took a short break. Akaashi couldn’t take his eyes off Bokuto whose eyes were blown wide and shining brightly; he was bouncing around on the spot and he looked even more eager than he had been earlier. His face was still sticky with cum and Akaashi gulped. He could feel himself starting to get hard again just at the sight of his aroused boyfriend covered in his cum. Akaashi grabbed a face cloth off of the nightstand next to the bed and wiped his boyfriend’s face.

“Kashi that was supposed to be for after my run when I’m sweating. I can just go shower.”

“Bokuto-san want to continue?”

“Are you sure you aren’t too tired Kashi?”

“I’m sure. Were you planning on taking care of that by yourself?” Akaashi pointed down to the tent in Bokuto’s shorts.

“Ah! Ummm…” Bokuto got flustered.

“That must be painful by now, let me help you.” Akaashi said in a low seductive voice.

“Okay.” Was all Bokuto could say in response.

Akaashi placed his hand over the tent in Bokuto’s shorts, and he used the palm of his hand to tease Bokuto through the fabric. He could feel how hard Bokuto was and thought that it must be pretty painful by now, but he was also having fun teasing the older male, making him grumble and groan with every touch.

“Kashi enough.” Bokuto said in a low tone that made his partner shiver.

Bokuto crawled back over top of Akaashi pushing him down into a laying position. He locked Akaashi’s lips in his own as he kissed him slowly but with a lot of force. Akaashi reached down and pulled off Bokuto’s shorts. Bokuto’s dick sprung to life from the fabric and Bokuto let out a breath of relief as their lips broke apart. The older male leaned forward and kissed the other again while he reached into the nightstand drawer and took out a bottle of lube and a condom. Akaashi broke the kiss to look over at what Bokuto had grabbed; when he realized what he was he let out a little excited huff and spread his legs for his lover’s access. Bokuto squeezed lube into his hand and around his fingers, and he glided the back of his hand up Akaashi’s thigh. Once his hand reached Akaashi’s entrance he paused.

“May I?” Bokuto asked.

“Of course, Bokuto-san.”

Akaashi wrapped his arms around Bokuto’s neck pulling him into a kiss as Bokuto took a single finger and circled Akaashi’s hole four times. The lube was cold, and it took Akaashi a minute to adjust to the feeling. Bokuto slipped the first finger in causing Akaashi to gasp as he was breached. It was a tight fit and Akaashi’s insides were squeezing around the finger sucking it deeper inside. Akaashi’s hands came down from Bokuto’s neck and traveled over the prominent muscles on Bokuto’s stomach, up across his sturdy chest, and then up to his broad shoulders; his fingertips just grazing the scar on Bokuto's left shoulder.

Bokuto thrust his finger in and out a little before he felt his partner loosen up enough to add a second. A moan escaped Akaashi’s lips as the second finger entered him. Bokuto curled his two fingers causing Akaashi to push his head into the crook of the older male’s neck. As Bokuto continued to explore Akaashi's insides, he came across a spot that caused his partner to tighten up around him. Akaashi bit his lip and rubbed his head into Bokuto’s scent gland. Bokuto hummed in approval and he released a hot spicy scent into the air. Akaashi’s response excited his partner and Bokuto started thrusting his fingers into that spot.

“B-Bokuto-san.” Akashi half moaned half chided. “Stop teasing me.”

Bokuto scissored his fingers as they reached deep up inside his partner. Then he added a third finger and Akaashi scratched his nails down Bokuto’s back. It felt strange on his nails, as they ran over old scars.

“Kashi don’t do that or you’re going to make me loose my last shred of self control, I’m already holding back as best as I can.”

“What if that’s what I was trying to do. I don’t want you to hold back anymore Bokuto-san.” Akaashi whispered in Bokuto’s ear.

Akaashi’s hot breath in his ear made Bokuto feel tingly. He was really turned on and wanted to make Akaashi feel good. He removed his fingers and Akaashi let out a whine. The ebony-haired male was frustrated at the feeling of emptiness his lover's fingers left. Bokuto reached for the condom, but before he could open it and put in on Akaashi stopped him.

“I want you now. Please don’t make me wait any longer Bokuto-san.”

“Just hold on a second, I just have to put on the condom."

"Forget it Bokuto, It's fine."

"Kashi you sure?"

Akaashi nodded and Bokuto decided not to wait any longer. He flipped his partner over so that the younger male was face down into the mattress.

“It will be easier on you this way.” Bokuto explained briefly.

Akaashi got up onto his hands and knees and pushed his ass back into Bokuto telling him to shut up and get on with it. Bokuto got the message and quickly lathered his hardened member in lube. He lined himself up with Akaashi’s entrance and slowly pushed his way inside the other male. Akaashi winced and clutched his hands into the sheets.

“You alright Kashi? Does it hurt?”

“No, it’s just a little cold. Keep going Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto continued to push in until he was as deep inside his boyfriend as this position would allow.

“Bokuto-san you’re so big, I feel so full.”

Bokuto waited a minute until his partner got used to the new sensation. It was really hard to hold off for that little time because the earlier praise Akaashi had muttered really turned him on and made him eager to please the other. He always felt gratified by praise but coming from Akaashi in this situation somehow seemed different and special. After giving his partner a minute to adjust a nudge from Akaashi made Bokuto start up a slow steady pace of thrusting. Bokuto was already panting, and way too overexcited. He seriously wanted to thrust faster and harder, but he managed to remain at his steady pace thinking about making it enjoyable for Akaashi too.

“Aa-hh a-ah. Bokuto-san, please faster.” Akaashi moaned.

Bokuto didn’t hesitate, he was so concentrated on wanting to please Akaashi, he probably would have done anything the other asked of him in that moment. Bokuto’s thrusts picked up in speed and force. Their bodies were making a satisfying slapping sound as skin pounded against skin, and Bokuto let out a huff as he grabbed Akaashi’s hips to adjust his angle of entry. He thrusted and hit the other’s prostate spot on. Akaashi’s insides clenched around Bokuto’s cock as he let out a shocked gasp. Bokuto continued his pace groaning in pleasure with every thrust. The older male leaned forward and nibbled at the nape of Akaashi’s neck. Akaashi moaned in response and turned his head around to receive a sloppy kiss from his lover.

“Bo-Koutarou!” Akaashi cried as Bokuto hit his sweet spot once more.

Bokuto’s eyes shot open at his given name. Akaashi had never called him anything other than Bokuto-san, but hearing his given name come from his lover’s sweet lips made him feel incredibly special in a way he couldn’t even describe.

“Koutarou I’m so close.” Akaashi whispered.

“Me too.” Bokuto groaned.

Bokuto made pinpoint accurate thrusts right into Akaashi’s prostate as Akaashi reached his climax; he continued thrusting through Akaashi’s orgasm and used a hand to pump Akaashi’s erection. Akaashi squirted all over the bed and nearly collapsed forward, but Bokuto moved his hand from Akaashi’s dick to wrap around his front for support to hold him up. Bokuto was at his limit now; he went to pull out, but just as he did Akaashi bucked his hips back into Bokuto forcing the older male to cum inside of him. Bokuto let out a low guttural growl as his seed poured out into Akaashi. The ebony-haired man collapsed forward into the mattress dragging Bokuto down on top of him.

“That was really good.” Akaashi muttered through heavy panting.

“You shouldn’t have done that Kashi. Now you are going to be all messy.” Bokuto said.

“It’s fine Kou. I wanted you to cum inside me.” Akaashi said his breath beginning to level out again.

“Kashi!” Bokuto flushed, his face turning bright red. “We should probably get cleaned up now.” Bokuto said rolling off of Akaashi.

“Can we just stay here a little longer?” Akaashi asked reaching out and holding Bokuto’s wrist.

“Sure Kashi, whatever you want.” Bokuto said with his lovely smile.

“You can call me Keiji when we are alone together.” Akaashi offered.

“Keiji. Kei-ji. Keiji!” Bokuto played with the name, rolling it around on his tongue.

“Kou…” Akaashi started but then trailed off.

“I love it! Keiji! It’s such a pretty name for such a pretty person! It really suits you.” Bokuto exclaimed.

Akaashi blushed. “Koutarou, you know I love you right.”

“I love you too Keiji!” Bokuto yelled wrapping the ebony-haired man in his arms.

“Alright Kou, we should probably get cleaned up now.” Akaashi’s voice returned to its usual neutral tone.

Akaashi was the first to get up only to collapse again because of his jello-like legs. He didn’t know he would feel this weakened after having sex. Bokuto wrapped Akaashi in a blanket before tossing on his own shorts and tank top. He led Akaashi into the main house and towards the bathroom. He offered to help Akaashi clean himself up, but his lover refused, saying he could manage on his own. While Akaashi cleaned himself up, Bokuto cleaned up his room, putting everything away and throwing his bedding into the wash. When Akaashi was done in the bathroom Bokuto took a nice long shower to get rid of the sticky feeling. While Bokuto took his shower Akaashi threw the bedding into the dryer and made the bed when everything was dry. After Bokuto got out of the shower he cuddled with his lover on the couch. They both felt a lot closer to each other now, and it was a really special feeling for both of them. It was really nice to be able to take this journey together: Everyday was a surprise, and they never failed to learn new things about each other. While they were settled in each others’ arms hanging out on the couch they talked about all sorts of things. Meaningless things, meaningful things, likes, dislikes, things they might want to do in the future.

For Bokuto it felt like the whole world had stopped, and in that moment, they were the only two people in the world. It felt like they had forever to spend together. Everything he learned about Akaashi, he ended up loving. Every new side Akaashi showed him, made him feel special and trusted. He truly loved Akaashi and would forever be grateful for meeting him. This man that came into his life, saved him. Akaashi saved him when he was on the brink of death in the forest, he saved him from his wounds, he saved him from his loneliness, and he saved him from his despair. He gave Bokuto a second chance at a happy and full life. There was nothing more he could need as long as Akaashi and his new family were by his side.

Akaashi was probably the happiest he had ever been in a long time and it was all thanks to Bokuto: he was thankful for white-haired man’s presence in his life. Bokuto had saved his life in more ways than one. He had come to the rescue and protected him when he was attacked by those other wolves, but Akaashi was positive he had been saved the moment Bokuto strutted into his life. He was one of the few people that could see past the walls he put up and made him feel special in a way no one ever had. He had always felt an attraction to the man, and it only grew as time went on. From attraction to like, from like to love, and from love to whatever comes after that, and he was sure his feelings would continue to grow as they spent more time together. For the first time in a long time they were both excited to see what the future held for them.

* * *

Kuroo woke up to a completely empty house. Bokuto either wasn’t awake yet or he woke up later than usual and was still on his run. Either way it was a pain because it meant that Bokuto hadn’t had time to make him breakfast yet. Kuroo stumbled lazily into the kitchen; he checked the fridge for any leftovers that he could warm up and eat. The fridge was nearly empty: they needed to get groceries at some point soon. The only things left in the fridge required some kind of cooking skills to prepare a decent meal. Grumbling angrily to himself, Kuroo opened the cupboards and checked for anything else that he could eat. It had been a long time since he had to fend for himself to eat breakfast. Since Bokuto started living with them the white-haired man had always taken care of it. Kuroo let out a loud frustrated grumble. He was annoyed but he really couldn’t be too angry, after all as a twenty-one-year-old he really should be able to cook for himself. The last cupboard Kuroo opened was stocked full of canned beans. He was not about to eat canned beans for breakfast, whining and grumbling Kuroo made his way back to his room to get dressed. He pulled on his coat and walked out the door. If there was nothing to eat in the house, he would go to Suga’s café and get someone there to make him food.

Kuroo strolled up to the counter and greeted Suga who was working the register today.

“Hey Suga, how are you this morning?”

“Kuroo! It’s been a long time since you’ve come here for breakfast. I thought Bokuto took care of your meals in the morning?”

“He does, but I’m pretty sure he was still asleep. I thought maybe he was just out for his morning run later than usual but Misty was still in my room. So, I’m assuming he’s still asleep.” Kuroo grumbled.

“Awe so your highness didn’t get breakfast made for him this morning.” Suga teased.

“Shut up! You know I can’t cook for shit!” Kuroo growled.

“Haha! Alright what can I get you your _highness_?”

“Pffft. I’ll have an egg salad and a chai latte please.”

“You hear that Iwaizumi?” Suga called into the Kitchen.

“Got it.” Iwaizumi Shouted back.

“Oh, so Iwaizumi’s working today?” Kuroo asked.

“Yep, he’s picked up quite a few more shifts since all my help went back to school.” Suga sighed. “Anyways, would you like your food to stay or to go?”

“To go please. I should probably go home and wake up the sleepy heads if they’re still in bed.”

Kuroo leaned against the counter talking to Suga while the silver-haired man made his drink. Suga handed Kuroo his latte, and they continued talking while Iwaizumi prepared the egg salad. After a few minutes Iwaizumi came out of the kitchen and handed Kuroo his salad in a plastic container to go.

“You should really learn how to cook for yourself sometime.” Iwaizumi stated flatly.

“Were you eavesdropping on our conversation Mr. Chef?” Kuroo teased.

“I don’t need to try and eavesdrop when you shout everything you’re saying.” Iwaizumi shot back.

“Hmph! Whatever!”

Kuroo met Suga at the register to pay before turning to leave the little café.

“Have a nice day your _highness_.” Iwaizumi called after him.

Kuroo looked back over his shoulder to yell a snarky remark back at the spiky-haired male but stopped dead when he bumped into something spilling his latte all over the place. Kuroo’s head swung back around to examine the situation he had gotten himself into. When he looked in front of him there was a shorter boy with two-toned shoulder length hair standing in front of him. Not again! How many times was he going to meet people by spilling his drink on them? The boy didn’t look up to meet the black-haired man’s gaze. Instead his gaze was focused downwards looking at his phone. The boy’s phone and white shirt were completely drenched in Kuroo’s latte as was Kuroo’s own shirt.

“Shit!” Kuroo cursed under his breath.

“Nice going.” Iwaizumi called out to him before returning to the kitchen, so he didn’t have to deal with the mess.

There weren’t too many customers in the café, but everyone that was there, was now staring at Kuroo ad the mystery boy he’d run into. Suga came out from behind the counter to clean up the mess on the floor.

“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. Are you alright?” Kuroo said to the long-haired boy.

“I’m fine. I also wasn’t looking where I was going, excuse me.” The long-haired boy’s voice was quiet and soft; it took Kuroo by surprise.

The long-haired boy passed Kuroo still not looking up or making eye contact even when he spoke. This got Kuroo’s attention. He wondered why the boy wouldn’t look him in the eyes, and just as he was about to call out to the boy, he heard Suga’s voice.

“Kenma are you alright?” Suga asked grabbing the long-haired boy’s shoulders.

“I’m fine Suga.” Kenma responded.

“You should really watch where you’re going Kuroo.” Suga chided.

“Hunh? Umm… Yeah.” Kuroo barely acknowledged Suga’s words, all he could think about was the mystery boy’s name that left Suga’s lips.

So, the boy’s name was Kenma. That’s was nice name, I wonder what he’s like? Kuroo thought to himself. Kuroo’s mind wandered but his eyes remained fixed on the long-haired boy. He was only snapped out of his thoughts when Suga gave his arm a light punch.

“You two come with me, I’ll get you cleaned up.” Suga offered.

Both Kuroo and Kenma followed him without any argument. Kenma had put his phone away in his pocket, but he still hadn’t looked up even once. His long hair shielding most of his face from view, almost like he was hiding behind it. Kuroo’s curiosity intensified and he couldn’t help by try and sneak glances over at the boy. He wanted to know what this stranger looked like. But he tried to no avail, the boy didn’t raise his head or look in his direction even once. Suga led the two down to his basement and handed them some extra clothes he stored there in case of emergencies like last time. Kenma was the first to use the storage room to change out of his latte stained clothes.

“So, who is that?” Kuroo asked curiously.

“Oh, he is a friend of mine Kozume Kenma.”

“Kozume Kenma.” Kuroo repeated.

Suga wasn’t sure he should tell Kuroo how he knew Kenma. The long-haired boy was a quiet, shy, and sweet person. He didn’t really agree with killing werewolves either, but when he hacked into classified government files, he was given two options: Join the hunters, or go to prison for hacking the government. Obviously Kenma wasn’t about to go to prison, so he chose the option of joining the hunters and keeping them a secret from the public. His unique abilities and brains were put to good use as the overseer of operations. He was the one who came up with plans for the raids and operations, he was the one who directed the hunters through walkie talkies. If Suga told Kuroo that he was a part of the hunting operations the black-haired male might become hostile towards Kenma. Suga didn’t want that, so he chose to keep silent about that little piece of information. Kenma came out of the storage supply room and was ready to walk back upstairs and forget the whole incident when his arm was grabbed. He whipped his head around to face the stranger who had bumped into him.

“Ummm… Kozume. I’m really sorry about spilling my drink all over you. To make it up to you could I buy you a drink or something?” Kuroo offered.

As soon as Kuroo’s eyes met Kenma’s he was dumbfounded. The long-haired boy had a really pretty face, not quite as pretty as Akaashi, but still very pretty. His features were small and delicate. His eyes reminded Kuroo of a cat’s: they were a yellowish color and almost slits like a cat’s. The moment only lasted a brief second because Kenma turned his head away to train his gaze on the floor almost as quick as he had turned to face the person who grabbed his arm.

“Umm… Kenma’s kinda shy around people he isn’t familiar with.” Suga interrupted.

“Sure, I guess a drink couldn’t hurt.” Kenma’s quiet voice caught the other’s off guard.

“Are you sure Kenma? You don’t have to. You can decline his offer, he’s a pretty loud and obnoxious idiot after all.” Suga said.

“Hey!” Kuroo shouted at Suga.

Kenma looked away from both men and smiled ever so slightly hidden behind his hair. “Yeah, I don’t mind. He nearly destroyed my phone; I think it’s alright to let him treat me to a single drink.”

“Great!” Kuroo’s eyes lit up.

Suga shook his head and followed them both upstairs. He returned to watching over the counter while Kenma and Kuroo took a seat at a table next to the café window. Kuroo got up from his seat telling Kenma to wait there a second while he went and got the drinks. When Kuroo left, Kenma pulled out his phone and began playing a game to get his mind off the fact that he was about to sit and have a drink with a complete stranger. What had possessed him to say yes to this person? He had to admit the stranger was pretty good looking despite his messy bed head. His personality seemed pretty out there and confident, something that was totally foreign to Kenma. Now he was going to have to attempt to make small talk with someone he just met because he agreed to it before thinking. Kenma never did anything without thinking it through and analyzing it. What made this time so different? Suga had even given him and out and he hadn’t taken it. Damn, his anxiety levels were beginning to rise, and he wished he could completely disappear behind his hair. Kuroo made his way over to the counter and asked Suga for a chai latte and a cappuccino.

“Hey, please go easy on him alright. He isn’t really comfortable around many people. I can’t believe he even agreed to stay after you spilled your drink on him.” Suga said seriously.

“What do you mean go easy on him? I wasn’t planning to scare him or bully him or anything like that.” Kuroo said confused.

“I just mean, your personality might be a lot for someone like him. Maybe try and dial it back a bit, and please don’t go teasing him. He takes that stuff way too seriously.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’ll be fine.” Kuroo said before taking his drinks back to their table.

Suga sent one last worried glance over to the table as Kuroo sat down causing Kenma to startle and put his phone away. Suga loved Kuroo but he could be a lot for anyone let alone someone like Kenma with horrible social anxiety. But it wasn’t really Suga’s place to intervene, Kenma had agreed to it after all, even after being given the opportunity to decline. And Kenma never did anything without thinking it through, so he must have a plan. Suga relaxed a little and returned to his work.

Despite Kuroo’s words to Suga, he was now unsure of the situation. He really didn’t want Kenma to hate him and from what Suga told him, Kenma wasn’t usually a fan of people like him. Kuroo may outwardly display confidence and charisma, but he could be just as unconfident and nervous as anybody. In fact, most of the time he was, he was just better at hiding it than most people. Kuroo sat down across from Kenma, he could feel himself start to sweat and his nerves were rising. He had already startled the boy across from him when he plopped himself down in the chair harshly.

“Here is your cappuccino.” Kuroo said pushing it across the table to Kenma.

Kenma didn’t look up. He reached for the drink muttering a soft thank you, before pressing the cup to his lips. If he was drinking something he couldn’t be expected to talk, right? Kuroo did the same, he took a big swig of his latte and swallowed hard. His hands were fidgeting around his cup as he set it back on the table. Kenma took notice of all these small details, was this guy nervous? He was sure acting nervous.

“So…Umm… I’m Kuroo Tetsurou.” Kuroo stuttered.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kozume Kenma, but I’m pretty sure Suga already told you that.”

Good Kenma thought to himself, you managed to continue the conversation. Then an awkward silence fell around them as it was Kuroo who couldn’t formulate any words. He was definitely nervous, Kenma thought. But that’s strange he was totally fine and confident before he had left to order the drinks from Suga. Oh, wait Suga. Suga probably said something to freak him out.

“Umm… did Suga say something to you?” Kenma asked finally able to look up at his companion.

What he saw was a sweating nervous mess of a man: Kuroo was tapping his fingers around his cup, he had a nervous grin on his face, and his eyes were darting around the room as if searching for something to say.

“What, Suga? No, he didn’t say anything!” Kuroo unconvincingly tried to dismiss the other’s question.

“What did he say?” Kenma asked in a quiet steady tone.

Right now, he was more confident than the person across from him and that was rare. He liked the feeling of being the stable one, as long as the other didn’t try to depend on him. That would make him far too nervous and he would crumble under the responsibility.

“He just mentioned that my personality might be a bit much for you, and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I don’t want you to hate me either. You really don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to.” Kuroo spilled.

“We don’t even know each other, why would you care what I think? You don’t seem the type to worry about those types of things.”

“Well actually normally I don’t, but I really want to make a good impression on you, and I have a lot to make up for with the whole spilling my drink all over you and everything. But I’m actually not always as confident as I seem.”

“Oh, really?” Kenma pondered that thought for a minute.

It was kind of nice to know that even the most confident looking people got nervous and uncertain sometimes. Everyone always told him that, but he figured they were just trying to reassure him. Actually being able to see it was much more reassuring than anyone telling him to try and comfort him. Kenma suddenly felt a small shift in his confidence and he thought this actually might not be so bad. He could handle this.

“Don’t worry too much about what Suga said. I am usually a really shy person, I don’t like meeting new people, I hate crowded places, and I try to avoid eye contact with people so that I don’t have to talk to them. But for some reason that didn’t work on you and you reached out to me despite my lack of interest. I don’t mind you, so please just be yourself and ignore Suga.” Wow that was probably the most words Kenma had ever said to anybody, and he just confessed all his insecurities to this person.

This guy sure made him do strange things. First he accepted his invitation to have a drink with him, then he actually managed to keep a conversation going, then he actually looked the guy in the eye (only for a moment, but still), he spoke more than a couple words, and finally he just spilled all of his insecurities. This was turning into a rather strange an eventful day, but for once Kenma wasn't sure he actually hated it. 

“Okay so then Kozume, what was so interesting on your phone that you weren’t watching where you were going?” Kuroo asked a little more confidently.

“I was playing a game.”

“Do you like playing games? What game was it?”

“Umm… yes I like games, and it was just candy crush.”

“Cool, so Kozume how do you know Suga?”

“You can just call me Kenma.”

“Hunh? Wait, what?” Kuroo was a little taken aback, he didn’t even call some of his close friends by their first names.

“It’s no big deal, everyone does.”

“Oh, okay then Kenma. How do you know Suga?”

“We work together sometimes. What about you?”

“I met him through a friend. How old are you by the way?”

“I’m 20 years old.”

“Ah! So, the same age as Akaashi. I’m 21. Does that mean you attend university or something?”

“Whose Akaashi?”

“Oh, he is one of my roommates and classmates. We’ve been friends since our first year of university, and now he is dating our other roommate and my best bro.” Kuroo rambled.

“I see. I go to X University, and I study computer programming.”

“I go to that university too! I am in the Vet Tech program.”

“That’s pretty impressive.”

“Yeah well, I’ve always loved science, and I like animals too. So, I thought I would make the most of it.”

Kuroo and Kenma continued to talk for hours. With each passing minute Kuroo became more confident and Kenma became increasingly interested in the other’s life. Despite his lack of confidence at the beginning Kenma could now see Kuroo’s confident and enthusiastic personality. He admired the other greatly. Once he was comfortable Kuroo’s words seemed to flow seamlessly, he was interesting, smart, pretty observant, and funny. The black-haired man made all kinds of strange science jokes, some of them were pretty bad, some of them Kenma didn’t understand, and others were so stupid he had to smile. Although, Kenma still struggled to keep a decent conversation going he found himself more relaxed with Kuroo than he had felt in a long time, especially since this was their first-time meeting, and Kuroo was practically a stranger. Kuroo seemed to notice when Kenma was at a loss for words and carried the conversation. If one of his questions were too personal and made Kenma uncomfortable even just a little, he would retract it without question.

Finally, Kuroo said he should probably make his way back home: he hadn’t told his roommates he was going out, and he had been gone for a lot longer than he was planning. The two exchanged phone numbers and decided they should meet again some time.

* * *

“Guys guess what!” Kuroo exclaimed the second he walked through the door.

Bokuto and Akaashi both turned their heads to look at him. They were sitting together on the couch, unlike their usual cuddling, Kuroo seemed to notice a slight difference. They seemed closer somehow as if they had shared a huge secret. Akaashi was so close to Bokuto, he was almost in his lap, and Bokuto had an arm draped around Akaashi's waist. Akaashi turned his head away avoiding Kuroo’s calculating gaze and proceeded to watch the movie snuggled close against Bokuto’s side. Oblivious Bokuto had no idea Kuroo was analyzing the situation, his arm was wrapped around Akaashi’s waist holding him close, and he enthusiastically spoke up.

“What?!” Bokuto exclaimed excited to hear his friend’s story.

“You two seem rather affectionate today.” Kuroo assessed.

Kuroo watched as Bokuto’s previous excited air vanished and his face flushed bright red as his grip around Akaashi’s waist tightened. Akaashi seemed to have stiffened a bit at the remark but relaxed again into Bokuto’s side regaining his neutrality over the situation.

“What’s it to you.” Akaashi replied with an even tone.

There was definitely something odd: both of their reactions were strange when he teased them. Normally Bokuto would tease him back playfully and Akaashi would completely ignore Kuroo’s comment. They only acted like this when something was up, and now that he started to think about it. Bokuto wasn’t out of bed at his usual time this morning. He hadn’t gone on his morning run or if he had he hadn’t taken Misty, and Akaashi wasn’t in his room this morning. Wait a second. The pieces all began to fall into place inside Kuroo's head.

“Hey, have you two finally slept together?” Kuroo asked with a devilish smirk playing on his lips.

“None of your business!” Bokuto blurted out.

“Maybe.” Akaashi said at the same time as Bokuto blurted out his answer.

“Ohohoho! It’s was about time. You two love birds have been all over each other the past few days.” Kuroo remarked.

“Have not!” Bokuto countered still red faced.

“Whatever you say. Details, details, anyone going to let me in on the details? Bo was definitely the top right? Who initiated it first?” Kuroo asked teasingly.

“Kuroo-san, didn’t you want to tell us something.” Akaashi said flatly taking all the fun out of Kuroo’s teasing.

“Fine, I’ll just grill Bo for details later. Anyway, I met someone at the café!” Kuroo decided to let it slide for now because he was excited to tell them about Kenma.

“Who?” Bokuto asked with interest.

“His name is Kenma and I accidently spilt my drink all over him, but apparently he’s a friend of Suga’s so we got to talking, and he is super nice, and smart, and he is kinda shy. When he laughs, he covers his mouth behind his long hair. He is really cute.” Kuroo gushed.

“You spilt your latte on him? Nice first impression.” Akaashi deadpanned.

“Shut up Kashi!” Kuroo yelled.

“You like him bro?” Bokuto asked a hint of teasing in his voice.

“I-I-I don’t know! I just met him!”

“Kuroo-san you were just gushing about his _cute_ habits. I’m pretty sure you’re in love.” Akaashi said.

“Whatever Akaashi! Like you can talk, you were practically drooling over Bo from the moment you met him, and I don't love him. I hardly know him.”

“Was not.” Akaashi said offended.

“Okay guys enough. Tell us more about this guy Tetsu.” Bokuto encouraged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the eighteenth chapter:
> 
> \- Bokuto sleeps in because he doesn't want to wake Akaashi, who snuck into his room last night because of the nightmares. When he finally gets up for his morning run, he is interrupted by Akaashi who has a better plan for their morning.  
> \- When Kuroo wakes up and Bokuto isn't up yet and he can't find good food, he decides to go to the café.  
> \- At the cafe Kuroo spills his drink on a person for the second time (The first being Yaku in a previous chapter). The person ends up being Kenma. Suga offers them both a change of clothes and they gladly accept.  
> \- Kuroo offers to buy Kenma a drink as an apology for spilling his all over him, and he surprisingly accepts the offer. Suga warns Kuroo that he might scare Kenma off if he comes off too strong, which causes Kuroo to start worrying and become a nervous wreck.  
> \- Kenma and Kuroo get to talking and find out that they actually like each other's company. Before Kuroo leaves they exchange numbers and promise to hangout with each other again soon. Kuroo returns home and tell his roommates all about it.


	19. Rising Tensions & the Calm Before a Storm

Tendou stood behind the bar mixing drinks for the customers as they drunkenly stumbled up to him requesting more alcohol. It had only been about five months since Ushijima bought the bar, and Tendou had worked there ever since. The bar did well and made them decent money; it was usually packed full of drunk university students. Tonight, was a slower night with few people probably due to upcoming exams for students. Ushijima appeared from the back room and Tendou greeted his friend/boss with overenthusiastic words and dramatic hand gestures.

“There aren’t many customers tonight, you can lock up early and meet me out back. I would like to speak with you.” Ushijima told his red headed employee.

Ushijima disappeared out the back door, while Tendou escorted their guests out of the bar. He quickly cleaned up and made all the preparations to lock up. He was curious about what Ushijima had to say. He was a very strict man and very rarely allowed Tendou to close the bar early, even if the majority of the customers had already left. Tendou made his way out the back door where Ushijima had disappeared earlier. He only had to walk a short way into the forest behind the building before he found his boss leaning against a tree awaiting his arrival.

“What took you so long Tendou?”

“Come on Wakatoshi-kun I still had to clean up, and you only told me about this meeting at the last minute.”

Ushijima ignored Tendou’s reply to his question, and instead got to the point. “I think it’s about time we take care of those other werewolves. We were outnumbered last time, don’t let it happen again.”

Tendou’s expression changed into wicked smirk. “Leave everything to me Wakatoshi-kun.”

“I will take care of the hunter end of things. I’m counting on you Tendou.” Ushijima said before walking away.

Tendou was left alone in the dark forest. He would have been nearly completely blind if it wasn’t for his handy night vision. This new task he was given would be exciting. If Ushijima needed more pack members, Tendou knew exactly where to find some. He expertly picked his way through the forest until a large building came into view. It was Y University and there were always students who stayed in the dorms on campus. Some of the dorms could be found on the edge of the forest further away from the actual university building. They were isolated from the other fancy more expensive dorms closer to the university campus. That made them the perfect hunting ground to find strong healthy recruits.

Tendou was an expert at this now: he had managed to turn Terushima and Semi without too many problems. Neither of them could refuse his help after being bitten. It was the perfect tactic for gaining more members quickly and efficiently. Tendou bit three new victims that night using sneak attacks and knocking out his victims before they could scream for help. Just a couple students in the wrong place at the wrong time alone with no one else around. They had given him the perfect opportunities, and Tendou wasn't about to waste them. Over the next week his victims would start experiencing fever, dizziness, loud overwhelming sounds and smells, until they began to change uncontrollably. That’s when he would offer his assistance in exchange for becoming part of the pack. It was a reliable tactic, after all it was how he got Semi and Terushima to join them.

If only Terushima hadn’t betrayed them by leaving and joining up with the enemy, they would have at least one more able body to fight. But that didn’t matter. Tendou had a couple more tactics to cut down the enemy’s numbers. Ushijima was counting on him after all. He couldn't possibly let down his oldest and most trusted friend. In no time at all they will have achieved their goal. Everything was going to work out well for them.

His plan worked like a charm and the three boys accepted his assistance. Goshiki, Shirabu, and Suna were introduced to the rest of the pack as well as Ushijima. The leader explained his plans for them. Each newbie reacted differently to the plan as well as to the rest of the pack. Goshiki found the whole situation fascinating, almost like it was a game, and he worshipped Ushijima. His naivety could be easily extorted for their benefit, and he would make the perfect little soldier. Shirabu and Suna were more hesitant once they had been told the plan, but it’s not like they were really given a choice. Shirabu opted to help them when he realized that he wasn’t going to be able to control his new abilities without some help. Plus, he wasn’t super against killing werewolves. Suna, however, still refused. He insisted he would find a different way to control his new abilities that didn't involve the pack at all. Sadly, Tendou and Ushijima were never really planning on giving him an option. That left them with no choice but for Ushijima to command him to stay and help them using his pheromones.

Just like that the training of the three new recruits commenced, and they would be ready for their next attack in about two months time. New werewolves would take a little bit of time to train. 

* * *

Iwaizumi had just gotten off the phone and a huge grin was plastered to his face as he made his way from the bed to the living area, which was only about a couple steps away since he lived in a single room apartment. Oikawa was sitting on the floor using the coffee table to study. Thick heavy textbooks and sheets of paper were spread out across the small table and the floor around where he sat. he had his glasses on, and he was concentrating hard on the information he was reading, taking notes and highlighting things when necessary. Medical school sure was hard work; there was so much information to learn, but it interested Oikawa. Therefore, making the endless work more enjoyable. Iwaizumi sat down on their small couch behind his boyfriend wrapping his arms around him.

“What you doing Babe?” Iwaizumi asked already knowing the answer.

“Studying.” Oikawa didn’t even look up from his books.

“Mind taking a break? I have something to tell you.”

Oikawa let out a soft sigh as he took off his glasses and gently placed them on the table in front of him. “What is it Hajime?”

“I just got off the phone with that construction company that I applied with. They called to let me know they were very impressed with me during the interview, and that I got the job.”

“That’s great Haji! Now you won’t have to work at Suga’s café anymore.”

“Don’t get me wrong the café is a nice place and all, but this new job is more along the lines of what I want to do, and the pay is slightly higher.”

“We should celebrate!” Oikawa shrieked.

“Don’t you have to get back to studying.”

“Mean Iwa-chan! I just wanted to do something nice for you. We haven’t had much time together lately with my school and your work.”

“What did you have in mind Shittykawa?”

Oikawa crawled up onto the couch and into Iwaizumi’s lap. He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s neck before planting a kiss on Iwaizumi’s lips.

“I don’t know. Any ideas?” Oikawa teased before kissing Iwaizumi again, this time with more force.

“Just one.” Iwaizumi replied.

The shorter more muscular male stood up from the couch lifting his boyfriend up with him as he went. Oikawa wrapped his legs around Iwaizumi’s torso. The pretty brunette leaned in for another kiss, this time slipping his tongue inside the other’s mouth. Iwaizumi carried his boyfriend the couple steps it took to get from the couch to their bed never breaking the kiss. Oikawa finally needed a breath and pulled his lips away just as they reached the bed. He quickly leaned in once more to bite his partner’s bottom lip drawing blood. Iwaizumi dropped Oikawa on the bed before climbing on top of him and biting his neck hard as retaliation for his lip.

* * *

Hinata invited Yamaguchi over to his place to do homework along with Terushima who had been living with the orange-haired boy since he left the pack behind. Hinata and Terushima were waiting for the freckled boy at the front gate of the school while he said goodbye to Tsukishima. The tall blonde didn’t take the news that he was being ditched by his one and only childhood friend for the likes of two idiots very well. Yamaguchi usually always went over to his place after school, so they could do their homework together. The only times that didn’t happen were when Tsukishima had hunter’s work to do. I mean of course it was understandable that Yamaguchi would have other friends besides him, but when did his precious friend start leaving him to hangout with others?

The blonde didn’t really like the other two. Hinata was far to excitable and just plain dumb and annoying. He wasn’t even sure why Yamaguchi would be friends with an idiot like that. But Hinata was far better than the likes of Terushima Yuuji. Terushima had just shown up one day at their lunch table and almost immediately befriended Hinata and Yamaguchi. Tsukishima had never seen the guy before but had heard about him. Apparently, there were rumors that he was a playboy delinquent at his old school which was why he transferred here. A lot of the girls seemed to fawn over him. The worst part was that Yamaguchi seemed a little too interested in everything he said. It always gave Tsukishima a bitter taste in mouth watching them interact. It grossed him out and made him feel like throwing up. He didn’t like his best friend hanging out with someone like Terushima. As Yamaguchi ran away from him towards the two boys waiting for him by the gate, Tsukishima felt a small sadness well up inside of him. Was it because he felt like he was losing his best friend? Tsukishima sent a harsh glare towards the boy who supposedly had a tongue piercing before angrily walking away.

“Hey, thanks for waiting!” Yamaguchi called out as he ran up to the other boys.

“No problem!” Hinata cheered.

“Does he always get that angry when you hangout with other people?” Terushima asked.

“Well I do usually hangout with him after school unless he’s busy, so he was probably just expecting it today too. I guess I should have told him earlier, so he didn’t wait up for me. He was probably just annoyed he had to wait for me for nothing.” Yamaguchi explained trying to rationalize his friend’s strange behavior.

“Still he shouldn’t act like that. I mean you are allowed to hangout with other people besides him.”

“Yeah, although sometimes I feel bad hanging out with other people because he doesn’t have any other friends.”

“You shouldn’t. It’s not your fault he’s a jerk and nobody wants to be his friend.”

“Tsukki may seem like that on the outside, but once you get to know him, he’s actually pretty nice.”

“Alright enough about Saltyshima! Let’s get going!” Hinata grabbed both of his friends dragging them off in the direction of his house.

Hinata and Terushima greeted Hinata’s mom when they arrived at the house. Natsu came running up to them and jumped at her brother nearly knocking him over like she did every time he came home. The little girl then turned to Terushima and gave him a big smile and hug. He lifted her up and spun her around while she giggled uncontrollably before placing her back on her feet. Terushima gave her a pat on the head and she ran back into the kitchen to help her mom with the cooking. The three boys took off their shoes and made their way upstairs to Hinata’s room. They finished their homework within half an hour of hard concentrated work, and then were called downstairs for dinner. After eating the three boys returned to Hinata’s room; they fooled around and talked together for awhile.

“Hinata where is your bathroom?” Yamaguchi asked suddenly.

“Down the hall, second door on the left.” Hinata replied.

Yamaguchi went to the bathroom leaving the other two together. Hinata threw one of his pillows at Terushima and hit him in the face. That started the beginning of a pillow war. When the two boys finally calmed down Terushima spoke up.

“Hey, Hina?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“I’ve been thinking lately. I think I might have a crush on Yamaguchi.”

“Wait! What!? Really?”

“Yeah. I get this funny feeling in my stomach whenever I talk to him, I love spending time with him, I find everything he says so interesting, and I just want to learn more about him.”

“That definitely sounds like a crush, but since when have you started liking him?” Hinata broke out laughing.

“Probably just recently since we have all been spending a lot of time together in class and during lunch. Is it weird?” Terushima asked hesitantly.

“What? No, not at all! I think you should go for it.” Hinata encouraged.

“Go for what?” Yamaguchi asked as he slipped back into the room having finished in the bathroom.

“A pillow fight!” Terushima shouted louder than necessary as his face broke out into a deep blush.

“Yeah, a pillow fight.” Hinata said awkwardly grabbing a pillow and throwing it at Yamaguchi.

The freckled boy caught it with a chuckle. He then made his way over to the bed and hit Terushima with the pillow in his hands. Hinata grabbed one of his own and smacked it into Yamaguchi’s stomach. Soon Terushima lost all sense of embarrassment and grabbed a pillow of his own. The three boys were throwing and hitting each other with pillows. Screaming and yelling as they did. It was certainly a bit immature for high school students in their second year, but it was fun anyways. 

* * *

Daichi sat at the head of the table with Suga on his right and Tobio on his left. His family had just finished eating supper and now he wanted to bring up a topic that had been bothering him for awhile now. His husband had been spending a lot less time with him and Tobio; the silver-haired man seemed to have grown more distant over the past months, and he had no idea why. He felt like there was a wall between them and decided he wanted to clear the air. Suga was about to get up from the dining table and take the plates to the kitchen to be washed, but Daichi stopped him by placing a hand on his wrist.

“Please sit Koushi.” Daichi said.

Suga sat back down in his chair. “What is it darling?”

“I just wanted us to talk together as a family for minute. There has been something that has been bothering me for awhile and I want to ask about it.”

Suga stiffened. He had been avoiding Daichi and Tobio recently because he was trying to get up the courage to talk to them about possibly quitting the hunting business. Could Daichi have found out about his desires, or what this simply about his strange behavior? Suga had been sneaking off and hanging out with friends Daichi had never met before. Had he been too obvious and raised Diachi’s suspicions? If he had this could be very bad. There was no way he could introduce Bokuto and the others to his husband if Daichi asked. That would be putting them all in danger. Suga was beginning to get nervous as his mind blanked on an excuse for his husband.

“Sure… what is it?” Suga managed after a long pause.

“You haven’t been spending very much time with Tobio and I lately. Sometimes not even coming home or staying out late, skipping missions to stay behind and manage the café. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great you’ve made some friends that you enjoy spending time with! And it’s great that your business is doing so well, but is there something else going on?”

“Something else like what?” Suga asked tensely.

“I don’t know. I guess I’m just asking if there is something wrong or if there is a reason you are spending so little time with your family?”

“Am I really spending so little time with you?” Suga asked sadly.

“Father is right. I don’t see you much at all except for at the table while we’re eating.” Tobio added.

Suga took a deep breath. Now that it had come to this he might as well say what has been on his mind lately. He wasn’t sure how well this would go, but he really did need to try. He owed it to Bokuto and the others to try, he owed it to himself and his family. It wasn’t fair for him to simply avoid them because he was too much of a coward to say what he had been feeling.

“I’m sorry Tobio. I didn’t mean to make either of you feel unloved or like I was upset, but I have had something on my mind for awhile now.” Suga said.

“Could we hear it?” Daichi asked in a soft encouraging tone.

Maybe Suga was overreacting and Daichi would take this well. His husband seemed to be in a good mood tonight, and he was being very encouraging about Suga talking to them. He probably wouldn't get a better opportunity than this, so he might as well make the most of it and get on with it.

“Lately I’ve been feeling like what we are doing is wrong.” When Daichi gave Suga a puzzled look, the silver-haired man expanded on his train of thought. “I mean hunting. I feel like we've been mercilessly killing werewolves, and I don't think it's right. I mean they can’t all be bad right?”

Suga's hopes of this going well were all crushed when the air at the table tensed. Daichi was staring at him wide-eyed as if he couldn't believe Suga would even suggest such an idea. Tobio also looked shocked. Of course, Suga had been expecting this, but it was starting to make him nervous. Finally, Daichi's voice broke through the silence and the growing tension. 

“Koushi. Werewolves are evil, dangerous, wild, animals that won’t hesitate to hurt you the first chance they get. Remember what happened to my grandfather? Those Werewolves massacred an entire human village for no reason.”

That was such a hunter response. Normally, Suga would have gotten too nervous, afraid of making his husband mad or angry and dropped the topic. But lately, he was having an even harder time than usual being around his family and keeping his feelings a secret. This might be hard, but Suga owed it to everybody to try and make his husband understand. Bokuto had done so much for him and the others, and it would be amazing if Suga could do something small for him in return. If he could convince Daichi that not all werewolves were a threat, then maybe Bokuto and the rest of the family wouldn't have to hide any more. Maybe they could even get the hunters assistance in dealing with the wolf pack.

“Well I’m not saying they are all good, but I don’t think they are all bad either. Just like how there are some good humans and some bad humans in the world, there are probably some good werewolves too.”

“Werewolves are nothing like humans, get those fantasies out of your head before you end up dead.” Daichi raised his voice sternly.

“What do you mean they are nothing like humans? They have a human form! They live the same way as humans do, they are just simply gifted with another form.” Suga was mad now.

“That form is nothing but a disguise! They blend in with humans so that they can fly under the radar and do whatever they want. Those other forms you’re talking about are wolves! Dangerous unpredictable wolves!” Daichi yelled.

“Honestly Daichi, I thought you would be more understanding about this! Why can’t you at least try to understand how I feel? I have always listened to you and tried to take your feelings into consideration. Why can't you do the same for me? At least hear me out.”

“Because how you feel is wrong Koushi! When did you even start thinking like this?! Why?!” Daichi continued to yell.

“After that mission in Sendai!” Suga shouted. “Daichi none of those werewolves fought back, not a single one of them showed us any aggression, they just tried to flee for their lives. That got me thinking back to other missions. There were very few werewolves that we have met that made the first move. They never showed us any aggression until we attacked first, leaving them no choice but to defend themselves or die!” Suga pleaded tears starting to fall.

“I don’t want to hear this anymore. I’m done listening. The only reason those werewolves didn’t attack us first was because we never gave them the opportunity. As for Sendai they were simply too shocked at our sudden arrival to comprehend the situation, and I have these scars that prove those werewolves were aggressive” Daichi yelled before standing up from his chair and storming off.

“Daichi! Please wait! Please… I just want you to understand. I don’t want you to be mad at me. Please wait!” Suga bawled.

“Dad are you alright?” Tobio asked after Daichi had left.

“I’m sorry Tobio, we didn’t mean to yell like that.” Suga wiped his tears.

“Why do you think hunting is wrong? We’ve been doing it for a long time now and it’s kind of fun.”

Suga’s heart ached. How could he have allowed this to go on so long that now his fifteen-year-old son thought that killing was fun. He could hardly blame Tobio for feeling that way, that was pretty much exactly what they had taught him. Killing werewolves was good. You were saving people’s lives by killing them. Werewolves weren’t really humans they were animals. No! They were less than animals; not even animals were brutally murdered the way werewolves were. Werewolves had no feelings; they were just beasts with a desire to kill. All werewolves were exactly the same. Some werewolves had killed people; therefore, all werewolves would kill people. If you don’t kill it, it will kill you. Werewolves don’t deserve to live. These were the types of things that they had always been taught. Suga couldn't expect Daichi or Tobio to understand his point of view right away, but he did expect them to at least listen and try to understand. At the very least for his sake because they loved him and cared about his feelings, but Daichi had completely disregarded everything Suga had tried to tell him. Maybe Tobio would be different?

“Sweety I’m so sorry for not realizing what I had been teaching you sooner. Daichi and I have failed as parents, but there is still time for you to grow up with a new mind set. Just because we have been doing something for a long time doesn’t make it right. If someone had been going around killing people their entire life would that make killing people alright just because they had been doing it all their life?”

“I suppose not. But werewolves are different than people.”

A small tear trickled down Suga’s face. “My sweet Tobio werewolves are different but not less. They aren’t better or worse just a little different. But I think you would be surprised at how much is actually similar between us and them.”

“I’m still not sure I understand dad.”

“I know baby.” Suga took a second to try and think of a better way to explain it. “What if someone you knew was a werewolf? What if someone you deeply cared for, maybe even loved was a werewolf?”

“I would kill them because they aren’t themselves anymore. It would be the best thing for them, but I would be very sad.” Tobio replied honestly.

“But baby they would still be the same person. Turning into a werewolf doesn't actually change anything about who you are as a person. Same personality, same humour, same behavior, same demeanor, same thoughts, same feelings, same beliefs…. Same soul. Everything that makes that person who they are remains the same, they simply get an extra form. You would still be you even if you grew your hair out really long and died it rainbow colors, and I would still love you just as much.”

Tobio didn’t speak again after that. He seemed to be processing the words his dad had said to him. Mulling them over in his brain, trying to make sense of everything. Trying to understand a completely foreign concept. Suga was just grateful he was willing to try and understand him. That’s what people who loved each other should do, right?

“I love you Tobio, you should get to bed now.”

“What about you dad? Father is still mad at you.”

“It’s alright I will stay at a friend’s place tonight and let Daichi cool down. I will come back tomorrow.”

“Promise?”

“I promise baby.”

Suga gave Tobio a kiss on the forehead before collecting his car keys and grabbing a coat and walking out the door. In this situation he would normally go to Oikawa and Iwaizumi, but they lived in a single room apartment with one bed and a couch that barely allowed two people to sit on it. There was no way he could intrude on them. I guess that means he would have to stop by Bokuto, Akaashi, and Kuroo’s place. They had a couch, and uncomfortable one, but at least it was big enough to sleep on.

Suga stepped up onto the porch and knocked at the door, only now just realizing he should have called first before showing up at their door. It was rather late already and Suga would be intruding, the least he could have done was called beforehand. Akaashi answered the door and immediately invited in the silver-haired male with puffy red eyes. Akaashi asked what was wrong, not wanting to get into it Suga responded with a simple ‘Daichi and I got into a fight’. Akaashi seemed to accept that answer and ushered Suga towards his room.

“Don’t worry the sheets and covers were just washed.” Akaashi said.

“Oh, no. I couldn’t take your bed. I’ll be fine on the couch.” Suga insisted.

“Actually, it’s fine. I usually sleep in Bokuto-san’s room anyways.”

“Oh, I see. In that case, thank you.”

“No problem. Have a good night Suga-san.” Akaashi said turning off the light and closing the door behind him.

Suga dropped himself onto the bed and curled up into a small ball, griping tightly at the comforter. He knew he had done the right thing by telling Daichi what he was thinking, but why did he have to feel so horrible about it? All he wanted was for Daichi to listen; they could work out the rest slowly over time, together. But If Daichi refused to even listen, where did that leave them? Suga pushed his head into the pillow and closed his eyes as they began to water, squeezing them tight to hold back more tears. He bit his lip to prevent any loud sobs from escaping him.

* * *

Kuroo had been spending a lot of time hanging out with his new friend Kenma. It was nice to see him so happy about something, it also gave Akaashi and Bokuto more alone time together. The two of them often found themselves alone in the house. It allowed them more time to cuddle, to be affectionate without being teased, and to do pretty much whatever they wanted together. Bokuto had even given Akaashi some cooking lessons, so they could make dinner together. Akaashi was having a lot of fun, it was great doing all these things with the person he loved most in this world. Even the simple tasks of cleaning, grocery shopping, and cooking were made enjoyable just because Bokuto was there with him. One evening when Bokuto came home from work to find that Kuroo was out with Kenma again he proposed he and Akaashi do something different from their usual daily tasks.

“Hey Kashi, I want to do something exciting today!” Bokuto exclaimed.

“Is our usual time spent together not exciting enough?” Akaashi asked with a hint of teasing.

“Akaaaaaaashi! You know that’s not what I meant. I love doing anything with you.” Bokuto whined.

“I know Bokuto-san. What did you have in mind?”

Bokuto brightened back up. “A date!”

“A date?” Akaashi repeated.

“Yes, I want to take you out on a date!”

“I would love that Koutarou.” Akaashi said as he gave his lover a soft smile.

“Great! I have the best idea ever!”

Bokuto grabbed Akaashi’s arm and dragged him out the door only stopping for a second to grab his scarf and their coats. The fall evenings were beginning to get colder and they would be needing their coats for what Bokuto had planned. The two men slowly strolled over to the café where they each got a drink. Akaashi a large black coffee, and Bokuto a simple green tea without caffeine in it (Because god knows Bokuto didn’t need any caffeine). After they ordered they sat at a small table together talking about anything and everything until they finished their drinks. Akaashi mostly just listened to Bokuto talk, but that was something he loved doing. Once their cups were empty, they put on their coats and walked hand in hand over to the nearest grocery store. Bokuto dragged Akaashi up and down the aisles buying everything they needed to make homemade sushi. Bokuto overenthusiastically explained the difference between quality products and how you could tell the difference. He explained what would work best for different kinds of sushi or depending on how you planned on wrapping it. Akaashi listened attentively with a soft smile never leaving his face. He could listen to Bokuto talk for hours; it didn’t matter what he talked about. Everything he said was interesting to Akaashi’s ears.

After paying for everything they returned home briefly to prepare their food. Bokuto showed Akaashi how to wrap the ingredients neatly in the seaweed, how to prepare the rice so it stuck together, and the best way to cut the fish so it fit perfectly over the rice. Bokuto also told Akaashi all the tastiest combinations they could make, and he allowed Akaashi to choose a couple combinations. After Akaashi messily wrapped his sushi in the layer of seaweed, Bokuto offered his help. The slightly taller male took off his apron and stood behind his lover wrapping his arms around Akaashi’s waist.

“Here Kashi. You take this like this, put this here, and then you carefully grab the corner. Roll slowly so the contents don’t fall out, and then… Voilà!” Bokuto explained as his hands guided Akaashi’s through the motions.

Bokuto leaned over resting his head in the crook of Akaashi’s neck. Akaashi giggled as he felt Bokuto’s hot breath tickle the side of his neck. The ebony-haired man leaned his head on Bokuto’s, and gently nuzzled him. Bokuto let out a soft hum that reverberated into his chest causing Akaashi to feel a slight vibration pressed against his back. Who knew cooking could be so relaxing? They both fell into a comfortable calming silence. The scent of sunshine hit Akaashi’s nose and he realized he had unconsciously rubbed up against Bokuto’s scent gland causing his lover to release a calm, happy scent. After a moment Bokuto released his hold on Akaashi earning him a whine of protest from his lover who tried to press back into Bokuto’s warmth. He wanted to stay like that forever, but Bokuto ignored Akaashi’s protests and instead put his apron back on. They both continued rolling their sushi. Akaashi’s rolls were still as sloppy as they were before Bokuto helped him. After they finished making their food, to Akaashi’s surprise Bokuto wrapped up the food and packed it all into a basket along with a thin blanket.

“I still have one more surprise for our date tonight. Get your coat we are going out again.” Bokuto said.

Akaashi was surprised because it was getting kind of late and he was getting hungry, but of course Bokuto would go all out for their first official date. After the two got dressed up for the weather they headed out back into the brisk evening air. Akaashi followed closely behind Bokuto as the white-haired male led the way. It was definitely chillier than it had been earlier that evening, and Akaashi had only chosen to wear a coat. His hands were starting to get cold, so he rubbed them together to create heat from the friction. Bokuto glanced back over his shoulder to make sure Akaashi was still following him; when he noticed his lover rubbing his hands together and blowing on them trying to get warm, he stopped walking.

“Bokuto-san?” Akaashi asked nearly running into him.

“Sorry Kashi. I didn’t think it would be this cold.” Bokuto said as he turned to face his lover.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” Akaashi chattered as his teeth began to clack from his shivering.

“No, you’re not! Come here.”

Akaashi stepped forward and Bokuto took off his navy-blue scarf wrapping it behind Akaashi’s head to pull him a step closer. Bokuto wrapped the scarf around his shivering boyfriend, and he also took off his black beanie and placed it on Akaashi’s head messing up the boy’s perfect black curls. Bokuto took Akaashi’s hand in his own and laced their fingers together for warmth.

“Bokuto-san, now you’ll be cold.”

“I’m fine Kashi. I’m not cold at all. Put your other hand in your pocket.” Bokuto instructed.

Bokuto led Akaashi into a beautiful park. There were open patches of grass. Tall trees whose branches hung over the path and whose leaves blocked out the sun. They wandered around the park for awhile in silence admiring all the plants. With the colder weather most of the flowers were dead now, but other plants grew in their place and were just as beautiful and full of color. Finally, Bokuto led them to a grassy spot on top of a small hill with no one else in sight. He laid out the blanket and they both sat down to enjoy the meal that they had prepared together. The sushi was delicious. The ones Akaashi made were noticeable compared to Bokuto’s pristine perfectly wrapped rolls. There were a couple combinations that Akaashi had suggested that didn’t quite taste the way they probably should have, but the food was still good. It was even better because of the company they kept while eating it. As they were eating Akaashi happened to glance up and noticed that the sun was starting to set, painting the sky with pinks, purples, oranges, and reds. But the color that stood out the most to Akaashi was Bokuto’s golden honey eyes that complimented the yellow of the setting sun perfectly.

“What are you staring at Kashi?” Bokuto asked with a cock of his head.

“You have the most beautiful eyes Koutarou. They remind me of the sun. Deep desirable honey colored like the setting sun. Bright and golden like the summer sun. You are like the sky Koutarou. You express everything you feel so clearly on your face for the world to see like the sky expresses the weather or time of day by its color. I love you Koutarou, and I couldn’t be happier.” Akaashi said in a honey sweet tone tears dripping from the corners of his eyes uncontrollably.

“Keiji, to me your eyes are the most beautiful in the world. The dark forest green color that sometimes appears to be a steel blue.”

“You think my eyes appear green?” Akaashi asked confused.

“Yeah they’re definitely green.”

“Everyone always said that they looked dark blue or gray to match by cold personality, but I always thought they were more of a green color.”

“You know Keiji, I believe that a person’s eyes are mirrors that reflect who you truly are deep down. The gorgeous steel blue that guards against anyone who might try to steal a peek into your warm heart, a deep green that represents just how deep your heart goes. You feel things more deeply than you might be willing to admit to yourself. It’s why it also hurts more when someone does you harm. Some people will be afraid to see what’s beyond those steel blue walls, so they won’t even bother looking. Just know that those people aren’t even worth your time because there will be others who will come along and be able to see down to the green core that is truly you. Loving, caring, passionate, kind, considerate, and so so much more. I love you too Keiji now and forever.”

“Koutarou you are too sweet.” Akaashi said as he caressed the other man’s cheek and placed a chaste kiss to his lips.

Bokuto was the first person to ever have told him his eyes looked green. His eyes were dark, and it was sometimes hard to tell their color, especially from a distance. For the first time, Akaashi had actually allowed someone to get close enough to him to see his eyes' true color. It was more than likely the walls he put up pushed people away before they could even have a chance to get close enough to know the real him. Close enough to see the true color of his eyes. But with Bokuto around, those walls had slowly came crashing down until he had no choice but to let the overenthusiastic werewolf into his heart. And with Bokuto by his side Akaashi was able to let others into his life as well. He was a true gift, and Akaashi couldn't be happier to have him in his life. 

The pair continued to talk for hours, enjoying each other’s company as they sat side by side pressed up against one another. Their fingers interlaced next to them on the blanket. Neither one of them noticed as the air changed from a brisk cool temperature to a bitter chill. They basked in each other’s warmth completely ignoring the cold that threatened to freeze them. They didn’t even notice when the sun was swallowed up by darkness as the night sky set in, revealing a shimmering moon. Bokuto laid onto his back and looked up at the sky. From this park on the edge of city the sky was clear, no pollution, and no clouds to overcast the view and blight their vision. From this spot on the hill in this park, the sky could be seen through a big hole in the canopy that the tree’s leaves created. From here the stars could be seen clearly. Akaashi joined Bokuto and laid on his back snuggled up close to the larger man.

“Koutarou, did you keep me out here all this time to show me the stars?”

“Yeah. What do you think Keiji? Aren’t they beautiful?”

“I think that from here I can see Ursa Minor, Aquarius, Capricornus, and Andromeda.” Akaashi pointed out each constellation as he named it.

“Keiji! I didn’t know you knew about the stars. That’s so cool!”

“When I was younger, I was fascinated by outer space, especially the stars. Did you know that Andromeda is one of the largest constellations and it was named after a woman in Greek myth who was sacrificed to a sea monster? Capricornus is part of the zodiac and represents the sea goat. Aquarius is also one of the zodiac constellations. Ursa Minor was a constellation used for navigation at sea because of its brightest star Polaris which is positioned due north.” Akaashi explained excitedly.

“Wow Keiji, you’re amazing. Which star is your favourite?”

“Well it used to be Sirius because it is the brightest star in the night sky.”

“Used to be? Which one is your favourite now?” Bokuto asked curiously.

“It’s you Koutarou because you are the brightest star in my life.”

Akaashi got up positioning himself above Bokuto who was still laying on his back looking up at the night sky. Their eyes met and they stared at each other for awhile processing how much the other truly meant to them. Then Akaashi leaned down and kissed Bokuto passionately. Bokuto’s hands moved from underneath his head to Akaashi’s waist as he pulled him closer.

“I love you Koutarou.” Akaashi whispered into Bokuto’s ear.

“I love you too Keiji.” Bokuto whispered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the nineteenth chapter:
> 
> \- Tendou and Ushijima are planning for their next attack. Tendou recruits three new members to the pack: Goshiki, Shirabu, and Suna.  
> \- Iwaizumi gets a new job working for a construction company, and Oikawa is hard at work studying for med school.  
> \- Hinata, Yamaguchi, and Terushima have all become significantly closer since the beginning of the year. They decide to have a study day after school at Hinata's house one day, and Terushima admits to Hinata that he likes Yamaguchi.  
> \- Daichi confronts Suga about always disappearing with his friends and not spending any time with his family. Suga finally tells Daichi and Tobio about how he thinks hunting is wrong, and that werewolves aren't the evil killing machines that had been taught to believe.  
> \- Daichi disregards all of Suga's arguments telling him he is just simply wrong. Tobio doesn't quite understand the concept Suga is trying to explain, but at least he is willing to listen and try and understand. Daichi and Suga end up having a huge argument, and Suga decides to stay over at Bokuto, Kuroo, and Akaashi's place.  
> \- Kuroo has been spending more time with Kenma, so Bokuto proposes he and Akaashi go out on a date. They end up getting coffee together at Suga's café, then buying groceries, then making homemade sushi with their ingredients, then going on a picnic, watching the sunset, and finally star gazing when it gets late enough.


	20. Pack vs. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Violence, Blood, Death  
> This chapter contains scenes of blood and violence. This chapter also contains scenes depicting death. If you do not wish to read these parts please stop reading after the first line on the paragraph that starts out like ' Lev, Kindaichi, and Kunimi were out in the forest...' and start reading again when Tendou says 'Let them go.'. To skip the other scene stop reading after Kyoutani yells 'Watch out!' and then pick it back up after the line on the paragraph that starts out like 'The humans rushed over to the hunters...'. This takes care of the two main scenes of violence, blood, and death, but there is still some mild violence and blood spread out through the majority of the chapter. You can decide whether or not to just skip it all together or just the two scenes mentioned here. 
> 
> If you do skip this part of the story you can read the notes at the end of this chapter. They will highlight all of the important points covered in this chapter, so that you still get all the important information needed to understand what is going on.

The first semester of school was coming to an end for all the students; Kuroo, Akaashi, and Konoha had finished most of their exams, only a couple remained. Oikawa had finished all of his exams and was working on finishing up the last of his assignments. The high school students were finishing up the last bit of course material. Their final exams would be next week. With the semester coming to a close and everybody finally having a little more time was cause for celebration. Kuroo decided to host a get together at the house on Saturday so they could all celebrate together. It was a much-needed break from their everyday busy lives, and a good chance to reconnect with each other. Bokuto, like always, had offered to cook for everybody, and Iwaizumi insisted on contributing. He and Oikawa were the first to arrive; Oikawa hung out with Kuroo and Akaashi, while Iwaizumi joined Bokuto in the kitchen with a bag full of ingredients he brought over. Bokuto welcomed the company while he cooked. Iwaizumi had some skill of his own in the kitchen; therefore, Bokuto didn’t have to babysit. He could focus on doing his own work and just enjoy the other’s company.

“So how have you been lately?” Oikawa asked Akaashi.

“Most of my wounds have healed up nicely. I got my stiches out awhile ago and now all that remains are a few scars, but they aren’t super noticeable like Bokuto-san’s.”

“Kou-chan has scars?” Oikawa asked surprised.

“Kashi remember he doesn’t wear short sleeves outside of the house unless he is going for a run.” Kuroo reminded him.

“Oh right, of course you wouldn’t know.” Akaashi stammered awkwardly.

“Well now I’m interested. Kou-chan!” Oikawa called.

Bokuto left what he was doing to Iwaizumi and bounded out of the kitchen to join the others in the living room. “Yes?”

“Oikawa, seriously don’t.” Kuroo warned.

“Come on Tetsu-chan, it won’t hurt to ask. If he doesn’t want to share, he doesn’t have to.” Oikawa said.

Kuroo sent a glare towards Oikawa who blatantly ignored it. Akaashi was getting nervous now, he didn’t mean for it to slip out it just did.

“Did you need something?” Bokuto asked Oikawa.

“Kou-chan, could you please take off your shirt for me?”

Bokuto gave Oikawa a confused look. “Hunh? Why would I do that?”

“Aka-chan said something about you having hot sexy scars, and I wanted to see them.”

Kuroo and Akaashi stiffened the moment the words left Oikawa’s lips. Bokuto stared at Oikawa for a minute processing the request, but he looked strangely unbothered.

“Sure.” Bokuto said simply. “They aren’t really anything special, but if you want to see them, I don’t mind showing you.”

“You don’t?” Oikawa sounded confused; he had obviously thought his request would be denied. “If you don’t mind people seeing them, then how come you go out of your way to keep them covered up?”

“Oh well I would hate to scare somebody; they aren’t exactly nice looking after all.” Bokuto said as he unbuttoned his gray and white plaid shirt.

The whole room went quiet. Obviously, none of them had expected that answer: they had all assumed Bokuto was uncomfortable with people seeing his scars. Instead he was thinking about everyone except for himself like he always did. Bokuto took off the shirt and tossed it to Akaashi who caught it. The first thing Oikawa noticed was the circular scar on the front of Bokuto’s left shoulder. Oikawa stood up and stepped closer to the white-haired man. Then his eyes caught the sight of a messy looking scar on the lower right side of Bokuto’s abdomen, right beside his v line. That particular scar was an odd shape because it had gotten infected and Akaashi’s parents had to operate to get the bullet out. The last scar Oikawa noticed was the long straight line that ran down the length of Bokuto’s forearm. It started at his elbow and ended just before his wrist. Oikawa seemed curious about them, and it was a nice change of pace compared to the usual horrified looks he would have received. The chocolate-haired male stepped closer and reached out a hand before pausing. His gaze traveled up the meet Bokuto’s.

“May I touch it?” Oikawa asked with a curious air, his usual teasing tone nowhere in sight.

Bokuto extended his left forearm to Oikawa. The chocolate-haired individual gently ran his fingers over the skin feeling a striking difference when his fingers passed over the scar.

“It must have been deep. I’m assuming one of the hunter knives.” Oikawa said.

“Yeah, they needed to make sure I couldn’t return to my human form, so they had to make it deep enough that my body would recognize it as needing serious healing.”

“Those other two are bullet wounds, right? I’m assuming the one on your abdomen got infected because the bullet was stuck inside.”

“Wow! You’ll make and amazing doctor Tooru!” Bokuto exclaimed fascinated that Oikawa could tell all that just by looking at the scars.

"I hope so. I'm still only in my first year, but I try and take every chance I can to learn about new things." Oikawa stated rather shyly. 

Iwaizumi came into the living to check out what was going on: it was odd that everything had gone silent all of a sudden, especially considering the people in the room weren't exactly the silent type. When he saw Bokuto without his shirt on his eyes were immediately drawn to the large scars running down his back. He was so shocked he wasn’t able to stifle the gasp that escaped his mouth. Bokuto turned to look at him exposing his back to Oikawa.

“What is going on in here?” Iwaizumi demanded upon seeing a shirtless and very scarred up Bokuto.

“Tooru was just interested in seeing my scars. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.” Bokuto said scrambling to find his shirt that he forgot he threw to Akaashi.

“I-I’m sorry Bokuto, there is no need to be afraid. You didn’t scare me I was just surprised is all.”

All of a sudden there were hands traveling along his back, Bokuto jumped away from the touch.

“Oh, my god Kou-chan. What in the world made those? I have never seen scars like that. Those gashes must have been long and deep, but they are too perfect for a knife.” Oikawa said shocked by what he saw.

At that moment Akaashi stood up and covered Bokuto back up with the shirt previously thrown to him. “It was a whip.” Akaashi answered for his boyfriend while buttoning up his shirt for him.

“D-did they torture you?” Oikawa asked in disbelief.

“Yes, they did. It was the boy called Tobio I believe. He would come night after night just to have a little fun. Bokuto-san was chained up unable to defend himself, the chain around his neck so tight there are still scars if you look close enough. What? You two didn’t know about this? Didn’t know how cruel you all were?” Akaashi’s tone was accusing and icy cold.

“That’s enough Akaashi!” Kuroo stepped in. “Look what you’re doing to Bo.”

Akaashi looked over at his lover, he had brought back bad memories for the older boy and he could almost see the flashback replaying in his lover’s glazed over golden eyes. Akaashi put his arms around his lover causing the man to startle, but he relaxed back into Akaashi’s arms as soon as he recognized who they belonged to.

“I’m sorry Kou, I didn’t mean to upset you.” Akaashi whispered softly so only Bokuto could hear.

Bokuto’s gaze softened and his eyes returned to their bright golden color. Right. He was safe now, there were people who would protect him, and there were also people he would protect with his life if necessary.

“Alright guys that enough reliving the past. I’ll be the first to admit that I sometimes still get triggered by certain things but I’m alright now. Akaashi, none of this was Iwaizumi and Tooru’s fault. They weren’t the ones who did that, I have already forgiven them for what they have done. We have moved past this and are happy now. We are family now, and we have to look out for each other. But I appreciate you standing up for me my love.” Bokuto gave Akaashi a sweet peck on the forehead.

“As for you Shittykawa! That was a dumbass move. What were you thinking you idiot?” Iwaizumi scolded.

Oikawa was still. He still couldn’t get over the cruelty of the whole situation. Sure, he killed werewolves, but he always tried to do it in the most humane way possible. One Bullet or stab to a vital point, and they were dead almost instantly. He and Iwaizumi had never done something so horrific, and to think shy, reserved little Tobio could be capable of that. Honestly, it shocked him that any of the other hunters would do that. Suga had mentioned to him that Daichi had failed to kill a wolf with white fur, which is how Oikawa recognized Bokuto the first time they met. Apparently Suga had left out all the shameful details about capture and torture. Since when did they do that?

“Iwaizumi, did you know?” Oikawa asked.

“Yeah. Daichi explained the whole situation after we left to me. Apparently, they wanted to make some money off his rare pelt on the black market. Don’t worry I already gave him a thorough scolding, but we haven’t talked since.”

“I can’t believe they would…” Oikawa trailed off.

“I know me neither. But let’s let the past stay in the past. We are here right now, and we are happy. Maybe in the future we can make a difference, so that other werewolves won’t have to suffer the same fate.”

“Good idea Haji. Let’s work towards a better future.”

Oikawa gave his boyfriend a soft smile. He was right. There was no point dwelling on the past because there was nothing anyone could do to change it, no matter how much they wished they could. And Oikawa seriously wished he could, but instead he would do whatever he could now. He would learn from his past mistakes and somehow, someway, he would make a difference. Even if it was only a small difference, every tiny step counted. Maybe, they could make a better future. 

Everyone else slowly started to arrive except for Suga who had patrol duty today, and with everything that had happened with his husband, he couldn’t afford to miss it. The others all understood why he had to go, but they would miss his presence. It was finally lunch time; Bokuto and Iwaizumi brought out the food to everyone and they all ate outside enjoying the last bit of nice whether the fall had to offer. It was a little chilly, but it was about to get a lot colder soon. For now, for this moment, the sun was shining, and they decided to soak up every last ounce of warmth it had to offer. They all laughed and smiled and chatted and teased. It was a good day. Despite the earlier tension between Akaashi and the ex-hunters everyone was enjoying themselves. The tension faded and everyone was back to being at peace with one another. Families would fight sometimes, have differences of opinion, challenge each other, but in the end, they were still family, and above all else they would love each other.

* * *

Lev, Kindaichi, and Kunimi were out in the forest doing some small training exercises that they routinely did on Saturdays. The three wolves started their exercises like any other day: Kunimi was half-assing everything he was doing, not wanting to expend too much effort or energy, Kindaichi was putting his all into it complaining to Kunimi about the other’s lack of motivation, and Lev was annoying the shit out of them both. It was a normal Saturday afternoon just like any other, until it wasn’t.

Kunimi was the first to pick up the scent. There were four wolves a short distance away and getting closer by the second, three of which he didn’t recognize and one of which he remembered smelling the day Akaashi was attacked. Kindaichi was next to react deciding they should head back home now. Lev like the idiot he was, remained completely unaware of the quickly approaching wolves. By the time Kunimi and Kindaichi had called out to the gray wolf it was too late the other wolves were already closing in on them. Kunimi and Kindaichi bolted for home, but Lev took a minute too long to process the situation. And was now pinned under a large slender red wolf.

“Leaving your friend behind are you.” The red wolf taunted.

Kunimi and Kindaichi came to an abrupt stop and turned to see Lev helplessly pinned beneath the red wolf. They had thought lev was right behind them. Kunimi and Kindaichi charged back full force hoping to knock Lev free so they could all escape, but instead they were met by the three other wolves. As they fought against the three wolves that nobody recognized, the red wolf spoke up from where he still had Lev pinned.

“Nice to see you again. I’m Tendou and these are our three newest recruits Suna, Shirabu, and Goshiki. They’re pretty good for only having a couple months of training aren’t they.” The red wolf teased.

Kunimi and Kindaichi took the bait and charged for Tendou. It took their attention off the others and allowed Shirabu and Goshiki to catch them off guard with a body blow sending Kunimi and Kindaichi tumbling sideways. Just as they were about to get back to their paws and try again, they froze at a horrible sight. Right before their eyes, Tendou had taken his teeth and in one quick motion tore out Lev’s throat. Blood was spewing from the gray wolf’s neck as he laid motionless on the ground. Tendou stood over him with blood dripping from his jaws and an evil glint in his eyes. Those red eyes were laid upon Kunimi as he spoke his next words.

“You’re next little one.”

Kunimi was frozen in fear, Lev laid dead in a pool of his own blood, and Kindaichi was on his paws charging the red wolf head on. Kindaichi was attacked from all sides by the three others trying their best to hold him down and failing. They did, however, manage to get in some good bites and scratches. Kunimi was left with no choice but to aid Kindaichi who was getting brutally torn apart. If Kunimi didn’t act now Kindaichi would also be killed. The sleek black wolf launched himself into the fray only to be knocked down again by Tendou. The red wolf appeared to be smiling as he drew back his lips to reveal his sharp blood-soaked canines. Kunimi did the only thing he could think of to protect his throat: he curled into a tight ball. Tendou grabbed the sleek black wolf by the scruff and shook him with all his might causing him to lose his protected position as a ball. Suddenly there was a loud crunch sound and a loud yelp from Kunimi. One of the other wolves, Goshiki, had bit down on one of Kunimi’s hind legs. It was definitely broken. At the sound of his friend’s cry Kindaichi threw the other two wolves off himself and bulldozed through Tendou causing the red wolf to loosen his grip on Kunimi. The black wolf just barely managed to struggle free from Tendou’s teeth and then him and Kindaichi were making a B line for home. Kunimi couldn’t put any weight on his one hind paw; therefore, he was running on three legs as fast as he could. The two had a head start since Tendou had been caught off guard and bulldozed to the ground rather harshly. Goshiki was about to take chase when Tendou called out to him.

“Let them go. I was hoping to kill off one more than we did, but there’s no need to worry. Those two won’t be fighting anytime soon with those injuries. Guess we have two messengers now.” Tendou said as he got to his paws.

Kunimi was running as fast as he could manage on three paws and Kindaichi was matching his pace refusing to leave him behind. They finally made it to the apartment complexes and immediately headed for Yaku’s room. Kindaichi scratched at the door frantically and Yaku let them in. Matsukawa and Hanamaki were inside drinking tea.

“Oh my god what the hell happened to you two?” Matsukawa gasped.

Kunimi and Kindaichi were unable to change back to their human forms due to severe injuries, and they appeared to be terrified.

“We were attacked by the same pack that attacked the human from Bokuto’s family.” Kindaichi managed through his panting.

“Wait, where is Lev?” Yaku asked, searching for the gray wolf.

“I-I’m sorry Yaku-san, they killed him. They tried to kill me too, but I got off with only a broken leg thanks to Kindaichi.”

“They what?” Yaku was nearly speechless. “Lev is dead? How can that be?”

“We’re so sorry Yaku-san.” Kindaichi apologized. “We were no match for the four of them.”

“That’s it. They are dead!” Yaku screamed, opening the door so hard it slammed against the wall.

Yaku changed into wolf and darted out the door, ignoring the calls from his other family members. He couldn't let these wolves get away with this. Lev was the baby of their family, he was the most inexperienced, and stupid, but he and Yaku had always been super close. At first Yaku absolutely hated his little shadow, but as time went on, he grew rather fond of the gray wolf. He was practically Yaku's little brother, and they had known each other most of their lives. In a desperate rage, Yaku pushed onward completely forgetting any kind of common sense that would normally tell him not to go dashing off alone, and to go prepared with some kind of a plan. 

“Wait Yaku! You can’t just go by yourself! You’ll be killed! Yaku!” Hanamaki called after him.

“Shit! Alright you two stay here.” Matsukawa ordered. “Maki, we have to go get back up.”

“I’ll come too!” Kindaichi yelled.

“No, you won’t. Stay here and watch Kunimi. You are already far too badly injured to fight anymore. You _will_ stay here! I don’t know what I’d do if I lost my little brother.” Matsukawa patted his brother’s head before changing forms and taking off through the door that remained open, Hanamaki hot on his heels.

* * *

Ushijima led Semi and Atsumu to _accidently_ run into a small patrol of hunters. Tendou had been watching them for awhile now and had learned their patrol patterns and with some magic-like guessing he predicted that these two hunters would be the ones to patrol this part of the forest. It was perfect! There were only two hunters, one of them being small and inexperienced. Ushijima let Semi and Atsumu handle that one while he went after the tall one with the long hair pulled back into a bun. Semi was the first to attack leaping out of the bushes at the smaller hunter. He missed his mark only managing to bite the short one’s shoulder instead of grabbing hold of his neck and killing him in one clean snap of his jaws. This alerted his partner to danger and the tall man with a man bun pulled out his gun firing a couple shots causing the wolves to scatter.

“Noya!” The older man yelled.

“I’m alright Asahi it’s just a little bite.” The younger boy responded.

They both knew what a bite meant, but for now they had to deal with the situation at hand. Atsumu darted out of the bushes drawing Asahi’s attention. The man bun fired off a couple more shots missing each time. While he was distracted Ushijima leaped out of the bushes and knocked the gun out of the man’s hand. Asahi stumbled backwards almost losing his balance. Semi had reappeared from the bushes to have another go at Nishinoya. The boy had his knife drawn now and the wolves no longer had the advantage of a surprise attack. Atsumu joined Ushijima to try and subdue the older man, both wolves snapped at the man’s legs trying to pierce skin with every clamp of their jaws, but the man was an experienced hunter. He dodged their attacks with skilled movements that had been achieved through hard work and training.

“Noya, we’re outnumbered, and I lost my gun. We should get back to the others and get backup!”

“Right!”

Asahi took out his knife and swiped at the air with swift precise blows. He managed to catch Atsumu’s snout a couple times. Nishinoya did the same thing except with less precision, but he still managed to get a shallow slice across the cream-colored wolf’s nose spraying blood into Semi’s eyes. With the wolf momentarily blinded Nishinoya made a run for it, swiftly followed by Asahi who threw a couple more swipes of his knife first. To Asahi’s relief the wolves didn’t pursue them; he did find it strange though. If the wolves were really the killing machines that he thought they were you would think they’d try their best to kill the two hunters before they could call for backup. Once Asahi deemed them a safe distance from the wolves, he reached for his walkie talkie positioned at the back of his belt. It was a really inconvenient place for it, but it was better to have his weapons closer to the front for easier access in case of emergencies. Kenma responded immediately and relayed their location to the rest of the party. Nishinoya and Asahi explained the situation to Daichi leaving out the part about Nishinoya getting bitten for now. They could deal with that later, it’s not like you turned right away anyways.

“What did the wolves look like?” Suga demanded worried for his friends.

“Well I fought against a cream colored one with dark colored paws, ears and tail tip.” Nishinoya described.

“One of the ones I fought looked like a giant darker German Shepard, and the other one was yellowish color and had gray eyes.” Asahi described.

Suga sighed in relief. At least it wasn’t his friends, but if he wanted to keep it that way, he needed to warn Bokuto and the others not to leave the house.

“Why does that matter Suga? A werewolf is a werewolf and they all need to be killed.” Daichi said harshly.

“Not all werewolves are bad! They aren’t mindless vicious creatures like you all seem to think! They are just the same as us!” Suga screamed at his husband causing all the others to stare at them.

“You’re wrong Suga. Now we are leaving, and we are going to kill the werewolves that attacked our team.” Daichi declared.

Kenma’s voice could be heard through the walkie talkies. “I agree with Suga. Some werewolves are bad just like some humans are bad, but that doesn’t make them all bad.”

“That’s enough Kenma!” Daichi snapped. “Now we are going to kill those wolves, so make us a plan.” Daichi demanded.

“All feelings aside I think that is unwise. We don’t know what we are walking into just yet. We should do some recon first and figure out what we are dealing with.” Kenma reasoned.

“Forget it. we are going now. We know what we are dealing with: three highly aggressive werewolves who won’t hesitate to kill us. Let’s move out team.”

The team fell into formation ignoring Kenma and Suga’s protests. Finally, Suga gave up and ran off towards Bokuto’s house. He didn't have time to deal with his stupidly stubborn husband, who wouldn't even give him the time of day. 

“Where are you going?” Daichi called after the silver-haired man.

“To help a friend!” Suga yelled back over his shoulder.

“Fine. I’m coming.” Kenma said through the walkie talkies.

Suddenly the walkie’s static sound went dead, the sign that they had been turned off. Kenma wasn’t about to let Daichi and his team walk into a dangerous situation, and since they weren’t listening to him, he had to take drastic measures. With Suga gone, they were already at a disadvantage, and Daichi clearly wasn't thinking things through. He wasn't being reasonable at all: he was just charging forwarded blinded by his own personal feelings. Kenma would have to go there in person and try his best to come up with counter measures for way too many possibilities. Daichi was practically leading his team in blind without any assessment of the situation.

* * *

Hanamaki and Matsukawa arrived at Bokuto’s house, and promptly changed back into human form before knocking at the door. When Kuroo opened the door, he was met with two naked men standing outside his door. Normally that would be a pretty weird situation, but Kuroo knew that it meant they had previously been in their wolf forms, and that couldn't be good for anybody. Kuroo invited the two inside handing them blankets to cover themselves up with. Everyone’s eyes were now on the two newcomers. All signs of laughter and light heartedness gone, replaced by serious expression.

“What’s going on?” Bokuto asked.

“I’m really sorry to interrupt.” Hanamaki said looking around at all their guests. “Our family was attacked by Ushijima’s pack. Lev is dead, Kindaichi and Kunimi are pretty badly hurt, and Yaku took off to confront the pack alone. We really need your help.” Hanamaki pleaded.

“Of course.” Bokuto replied without delay.

Another knock came at the door. When Kuroo opened the door a disheveled Suga barged in.

“Whatever you guys do don’t go outside. The hunters are going after Ushijima’s pack right now.” Suga huffed and puffed, tired from sprinting all the way there.

“Fuck!” Kuroo cursed. “Okay here’s the plan. Wolves you guys go after Yaku. If possible, stop him before he gets there! Although, that seems unlikely seeing as he had a head start. Humans we are going to stop the hunters if the situation comes down to the wolves fighting each other.”

Kuroo dismissed them, and all the werewolves changed forms. The wolves headed out after Bokuto who was tracking Yaku by his scent. The humans all followed a short distance behind the wolves.

"So, I literally ran all the way here to tell you guys to stay _inside_ , and here we are _outside_!" Suga emphasized his words to get his point across.

"Yaku went after Ushijima's pack." Kuroo said as he jogged alongside the silver-haired man.

'Oh' was the only word Suga could manage. Now he understood the danger they were about to get themselves caught up in. A three-way war between Ushijima's pack, the hunters, and Bokuto's family. This could turn out very badly for everyone. 

When Bokuto and the other wolves arrived on the scene the hunters were already crouched behind some bushes setting up their guns and preparing to fight. Further ahead of where Bokuto and the others stood, Yaku was fighting with Tendou in a wide-open clearing completely devoid of trees. They were in the perfect place for the hunters to be able to see and take out any werewolves who emerged from the trees. The rest of Ushijima’s pack was standing on the opposite end at the edge of the clearing staying hidden behind some trees. One of the hunters had his rifle set up preparing to take the shot. Bokuto’s eyes darted back and forth assessing the situation before doing anything that might get them all killed. They couldn't just run out into the open and risk being shot, but they also couldn't just do nothing. 

“Yaku watch out!” Kyoutani yelled as loud as he could.

BANG! The black-haired hunter fired his rifle. Suddenly all the movement in the clearing stopped. Tendou collapsed on top of the smaller dirty blonde wolf. A moment later the red wolf got up and his eyes met Bokuto’s across the clearing.

“Just kidding.” Tendou said with a sharp edge to his tone before quickly rejoining his pack out of the clearing before another shot could be aimed and fired.

All that remained in the clearing was a motionless Yaku. From where he was standing Bokuto could see the wolf’s eyes were wide open and unblinking, and a pink tongue hung out of slightly parted jaws. The life was gone from the little wolf’s body, dimming his eyes that were once full of life. Kuroo having arrived just in time to see where the shot came from took the other humans and rushed over to stop the hunters from firing any more shots.

“Yaku No!” Kyoutani shouted.

Kyoutani dashed into the clearing followed closely by Matsukawa and Hanamaki. On the opposite end of the clearing Ushijima’s pack had begun a charge directly at them. Bokuto led the rest of his wolves into battle. Upon reaching the middle of the clearing Kyoutani tackled Tendou to the ground in a tussle. Matsukawa singlehandedly took on the twins, while his partner made quick work of Semi, leaving the cream-colored wolf unable to stand, before helping his pair. Sakusa and Oikawa met in a match of intimidation before Oikawa launched himself at the curly black-furred wolf. Terushima and Hinata paired up to work together on cornering the three newbies.

Kyoutani fought with everything he had, snapping and clawing at his opponent viciously. It had been a while since Tendou fought a wolf he deemed worthy of being a challenge for him, but Kyoutani seemed to be worth his time. Tendou had helped Ushijima kill their entire family after all, so he was rather skilled at fighting. Kyoutani swiped a paw at the other digging in his claws deep when they hit flesh. Nice long claw marks ran down Tendou’s side. The wounds stung; every time he moved, he left a trail of blood behind him. Tendou lunged forward snapping at the sandy colored wolf catching Kyoutani’s ear between his teeth. Kyoutani let out a low growl as the pain hit him. Tendou dragged the smaller wolf around by his ear tossing him back and forth like a chew toy. Being agile, Kyoutani managed to get his footing and whip around slamming his backend into Tendou and tearing his own ear in the process. Tendou fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of him as he gasped for a breath. Kyoutani wasted no time in pouncing on the other wolf, grabbing him by the scruff, and dragging him to the edge of clearing before he managed to wriggle his way out of Kyoutani’s grip.

The twins were no match for the power couple, Matsukawa and Hanamaki, who were a couple years older than them. Atsumu was being thrown around by a much larger and stronger Matsukawa. Osamu was desperately trying to get to his brother but being blocked by Hanamaki. The twins were decent fighters, but they were never in top form unless they fought side by side. In this situation where they were unable to get to each other, they were at a serious disadvantage. Hanamaki and Matsukawa slowly started pushing the twins back across the clearing until they were almost hidden in the forest.

Oikawa and Sakusa rolled around on the ground as Oikawa struggled to get a hold on the black wolf’s throat. Oikawa wanted to make the other beg for mercy while he held him tightly by the throat. Although, Sakusa was effectively dodging and avoiding Oikawa’s sharp teeth and slicing claws, he wasn’t making many of his own attacks. Oikawa’s snapping jaws just barely grazed the fur on Sakusa’s throat, and the black wolf instinctively lashed out a paw to protect himself. His claws caught Oikawa’s nose and the Chocolate wolf whimpered at the sting he felt. He could see red lines running along his nose as the blood welled up where he had been scratched. A couple crimson drops fell to the ground as Oikawa shook himself to regain his focus. It was just barely a nick and would heal quickly but the nose was a sensitive place to be scratched, and furthermore it bled a lot. Sakusa looked around noticing that a couple of his pack members were being pushed to the edge of clearing. The black wolf let himself be pushed back by the chocolate one without putting up too much a fight.

Hinata was darting around the three remaining wolves causing confusion. He was small and quick on his paws, and agile enough to dodge the odd snap sent his way. His and Terushima’s plan was to have Hinata darting around nipping at the three wolves’ legs creating openings for Terushima to deal out the real damage. Hinata almost appeared as an orange blur to Suna, Shirabu, and Goshiki because he was moving so fast. The little orange wolf darted around quickly and unpredictably throwing in nips every once in awhile. As soon as the three wolves were distracted by the decoy, Terushima would land a strike with his paw or a much harsher bite on the opposite side drawing their attention back to him so that Hinata could get in a couple good nips. Suna, Shirabu, and Goshiki were already at a disadvantage because they were still relatively new to their wolf bodies. Sometimes they weren’t quick enough to react or they would get distracted by the others who were fighting near by. This team they were fighting against only added to that confusion.

Bokuto’s family had the upper hand now. Most of Ushijima’s pack were now being cornered with nowhere left to run. Bokuto and Ushijima were fighting each other one on one in the middle of clearing. They could be considered fairly evenly matched because even though Ushijima was slightly stronger, Bokuto was slightly faster. They matched each other bite for bite and claw for claw. Neither of them able to gain the upper hand over the other.

* * *

The humans rushed over to the hunters hidden in the bushes. Their goal was to make sure no one else got shot while their friends dealt with Ushijima’s pack. Suga tried to convince his husband to stop and let the wolves deal with their problems amongst themselves, but Daichi was unconvinced. All he saw was an opportunity to kill a whole bunch of werewolves in one place at the same time. Suga tried to reason with him telling him he hadn’t considered the risks, and he didn’t even have a plan. Daichi ignored the silver-haired man and pushed past him to get closer to the wolves for a better shot. The rest of the team followed Daichi’s lead. Once they were at a good range Daichi pointed his gun at the clearing aiming for the wolves, and his husband stepped in front of it.

“Why are you protecting them Suga?” Daichi asked angrily.

“Please wait. Just listen to what I have to say.” Suga pleaded desperately.

“I’m listening.” Daichi replied.

“Daichi not all werewolves are bad. Some of the wolves down there are very sweet caring people. They have family and friends who care deeply for them and would be sad if they were killed.”

“I’ve heard that way too many times Suga. You’re just spouting the same bullshit you went on about at dinner a month ago. Werewolves are like humans? Oh please, don’t lie to yourself Suga.”

“Daichi!” Suga shouted. “Those wolves down there, those people… they are my friends. They are a part of my **Family**!”

“My best friend is down there fighting to get rid of Ushijima and his pack so he can protect everyone here, and that includes you guys too.” Kuroo chimed in.

“Bokuto-san is probably a better person than all of you combined, and I am not about to let you hurt him again.” Akaashi added coldly.

"Move out of my way!" Daichi yelled as he pushed his husband to the side.

“Daichi you see that wolf down there.” Iwaizumi pointed to a fluffy chocolate brown wolf catching Daichi's attention. “That’s my boyfriend! That’s Tooru! The dumbass got himself bit on our last mission and I couldn’t bring myself to kill him. Instead I asked for Suga’s help and he sent me to Bokuto, the wolf you failed to kill in Sendai. When I met him, he was scared shitless of me, but he bore no anger towards me. It took him some time, but he forgave us for what we did to him and helped Shittykawa deal with his new body. Daichi-san, I’m telling you Tooru is still the same person I fell in love with. He hasn’t changed at all.” Iwaizumi explained.

“You idiots! You didn’t kill him? You let him turn into that monster?” Daichi questioned condescendingly.

“Tooru is not monster!” Iwaizumi shot back.

“Wait then does that mean I don’t have to die?” Nishinoya asked softly from the group of hunters positioned behind their leader.

“What are you talking about?” Daichi asked.

“I was bitten earlier; it was a surprise attack. I was going to deal with it after this, but if you’re telling me there is hope… Daichi-san I don’t want to die.” Nishinoya had tears streaming down his face.

Daichi moved forward toward the young boy but was stopped by a big body. “Daichi don’t.” Asahi said softly.

Daichi backed off. “I’ll deal with him later, but there is no hope. Get that shit out of your heads! He **will** have to die.”

Asahi gave his friend a sad look: he looked like he was about to cry. It truly pained Daichi to see his best friend like that, but he was only telling them the truth. He was stating facts! What he knew to be true! He was carrying out his duty despite the consequences, that’s what it meant to be a hunter. That's what it meant to be the leader of this party; he would have to make the difficult calls no one else wanted to.

“Tobio, you know your little friend Hinata? He is a werewolf too. He always has been.” Suga told his son, grasping at straws trying to sway the hunters' feelings.

“He is?” Tobio asked sadly.

“Yes, but you don’t have to kill him. I know how much you care for him. You already know what a good person he is.” Suga said.

“Dad, I think I’m starting to understand what you were trying to tell me that night at dinner, but to fully understand I think I need to talk to him.”

“Alright sweety. We can do that, just please stop fighting. Okay?”

“Okay.” Tobio agreed, putting away his knife.

“Hey, Daichi-san. I think Suga might be right on this one. Maybe, we should just stop.” Tanaka chimed in starting to feel guilty after hearing everything the others were saying.

“I don’t give a damn about what you think! You’re wrong! A werewolf is a werewolf and they should all be killed!” Daichi yelled angrily.

As the last words left his mouth, Daichi picked up his gun and aimed at the closest target, which happened to be a small orange wolf perfectly square in his line of sight. Tobio’s eyes widened as he saw where his father was aiming, and recognition hit him. His dad told him Hinata was a werewolf, right? Then that scrawny orange fluffball of a wolf on the other end of the barrel of his father’s gun had to be Hinata.

“Father, wait! Don’t!” Tobio cried out before his father was able to pull the trigger.

* * *

Ushijima was finally able to gain the upper hand over the white wolf using sheer strength. Ushijima now had Bokuto pinned beneath him. The larger alpha muttered something about winning and tearing Bokuto to shreds, but Bokuto couldn’t lose, not here, and not now. His family was counting on him and there was no way he was about to let them down. He couldn’t afford for any more of his family to be killed ever again. This would not turn out like last time where he lost everything. Just as Ushijima put more weight into keeping the white alpha pinned, there was a loud cry. Bokuto’s eyes shot to the source of the cry. It was Tobio and he was yelling at the hunter that had very nearly killed Bokuto.

The white wolf’s eyes widened as he realized in a split second the reason for the cry. The hunter had a gun aimed at Hinata and was about to fire. Bokuto, completely ignoring the weight pinning him to the ground, forced his way to his paws and leapt past Ushijima and straight for Hinata who was only a couple of strides away. With all the force he could muster Bokuto pushed off with his hind paws barreling straight for the orange wolf. When Hinata noticed Bokuto’s approach it was already too late. Bokuto had slammed into him at full speed knocking the tiny wolf off his paws and sent him skidding across the grass. Bokuto had arrived just in time to take the bullet to the chest.

Suga lunged forward a couple seconds too late, and he knocked the gun out of his husband’s hands screaming ‘NO’ at the top of his lungs. The handgun fell to the ground with a thud, but Daichi had already fired it. Daichi’s eyes were fixed on the wolf his bullet had pierced. It wasn’t the one he had aimed for, but it was still a wolf. As his eyes locked on to Bokuto’s the realization hit him that he had just shot the wolf he failed to kill in Sendai. With a satisfied grin Daichi turned to meet the gazes of a bunch of shocked speechless people. Suga was absolutely devastated that he hadn’t reacted in time and couldn't pull his eyes away from a small red spot that tainted the ever so white fur of Bokuto. Tobio along with the other hunters had no words for what they just witnessed, that wolf had moved so fast just then it was like a blur of white and black flecks. Kuroo had dropped to his knees as silent tears streamed down his face, and Iwaizumi’s hand landed on his shoulder with a comforting squeeze.

Akaashi was breathless and barely able to speak. “Bokuto-san?” His voice was just barely above a whisper.

* * *

Well that took care of the leader of the wolves Ushijima thought to himself. Now he just had to deal with the leader of the hunting party, and then leave the two groups to kill each other off. Ushijima charged straight toward Daichi at full speed. The hunter had his back turned to the wolf and was unarmed. This would be the perfect opportunity to take him out. Ushijima leapt into the air will all his strength.

“Daichi watch out.” Suga cried out.

Daichi spun around and came face to face with the biggest wolf he had ever seen launched into the air and coming straight for him. He didn’t have time to reach for his gun that had been knocked to the ground by his husband. Was this how he died? Killed by a werewolf because his fellow hunters decided they no longer wanted to kill werewolves. Killed by a werewolf because his husband disarmed him in the middle of a battlefield. Killed by a werewolf because he let down his guard on the job. Daichi closed his eyes and accepted his fate. Just as his eyes had closed, he thought he saw a flash of movement off to the side out of the corner of his eye. He reopened his eyes just in time to witness a miracle. The wolf he had shot lunged forward knocking into the larger wolf’s side in mid air.

Ushijima fell to the ground with Bokuto tumbling down after him. Before Bokuto could get up to defend himself Ushijima had him pinned again reaching for the white wolf’s throat. Iwaizumi was quick to react and grabbed Daichi’s gun from the ground and aimed it at Ushijima.

“Back off or I will shoot you.” Iwaizumi threatened.

Ushijima stepped back growling loudly. Bokuto got to his paws with a bit of difficulty. He could feel a slight pain in his chest but with all the adrenaline running through his veins he hardly cared.

“Leave Tokyo. Take your pack and never come back.” Iwaizumi demanded gun still pointed at the wolf.

“Ushijima, just surrender already, we are all cornered over here, and you are about to be shot. Come on don’t be stubborn we can find a different place to live. One without other wolves or humans. We can become the rulers of our own city that we build.” Tendou called out from across the clearing where the rest of Ushijima’s pack was cornered by Bokuto’s family.

Ushijima took one good look at the situation and realized he couldn’t win. He scampered off to rejoin the rest of his pack. “Alright fine. Let’s go.” He commanded. 

“I’m not going with you.” Sakusa spoke up.

“What? And why not?” Ushijima sneered his lips curling up into a growl.

“Because it was a mistake to join your pack in the first place. I was kicked out of my family and needed someone to depend on, but I quickly came to regret my choice. You make us fight for you, kill for you, and when we don’t, you force us to anyways with your alpha pheromones. I’m not going to do it any longer.” Sakusa growled back.

“I’m coming too Omi-san.” Atsumu called running over to the black wolf’s side.

“Count me in.” Osamu added.

“I-I want out too.” Suna said scurrying over to the other three wolves.

“And what if I make you stay?” Ushijima threatened.

“You won’t.” Sakusa said flatly.

“Why would you think that?” Ushijima snarled.

“Because of him.” Sakusa tossed his head to the side pointing at the white wolf who had approached them while they were talking.

“Whatever.” Ushijima scoffed turning around and leading the rest of his pack away.

Tendou and Ushijima disappeared into the trees followed by Goshiki, Shirabu, and Semi who was limping pretty badly.

“Hey, thanks for everything.” Sakusa dipped his head to the white wolf and the three others followed suit.

"I know he forced you to fight, so I am glad I could help free you.... But for the safety of my family you all have to leave too." Bokuto said in a serious tone.

“Of course. I couldn't ask for anything more. I'm just happy you didn't kill us all. We will be out of your fur now.” Sakusa said as he took his followers with him.

"We aren't all killers you know." Bokuto called after the curly black wolf.

Sakusa turned his head and gave the white wolf a nod of acknowledgement before disappearing into the forest in the opposite direction Ushijima had gone. He didn't want to run into the alpha only to be forced to rejoin the pack one again. After the chaos died down Matsukawa, Hanamaki, and Kyoutani ran to Yaku’s side. Although, they already knew they checked for a pulse anyways, but he was indeed dead. The other wolves had begun to regroup. Akaashi ran across the clearing towards Bokuto, but he stopped dead in his tracks when the white wolf dropped to the ground huffing and panting in pain.

“ **KOUTAROU**!!!” Akaashi’s shrill, agonizing scream cut through the silence.

It was loud enough to capture everyone's attention, and their eyes all traveled to Bokuto who was lying on the grass gasping for breath. His entire family sprinted to his side. Akaashi was the first to arrive, and he flung himself to his knees beside the wolf holding his head gently in his lap. Tears were streaming down his face as he rubbed the wolf’s head trying to keep him calm.

“It’s okay, you’re alright. We are going to get you help don’t worry. Okay Kou? Please don’t worry, just stay awake for me okay.” Akaashi looked at the others running towards them. “Someone help! Help, please! I don’t know what to do! He needs help!”

The wolves all gathered around Akaashi also unsure what to do. Kuroo came bulldozing through them all to reach his friend’s side.

“Bo! Hey, Bo! You listen to me, alright. You’re going to be just fine. Keep breathing, keep taking nice easy breaths.”

“I…ah, ah, ah… c-an’t…ah, ah, ah… b-bbreathe.” Bokuto tried between shallow short breaths, despite the fact the humans wouldn't be able to understand him.

“No Kou-chan. Don’t talk. You’ll be fine just hold on.” Oikawa insisted.

The only thing Kuroo and Akaashi could hear were small shallow whimpers coming from the white wolf, and it broke their hearts. Suddenly there was a loud zooming noise as Suga drove up in one of their hunting vans. He, Kuroo and Iwaizumi quickly dumped out all the hunting gear. Together the four of them just barely managed to lift Bokuto into the van. Akaashi got in with him and the rest of the wolves piled in as well.

“We’ll meet you there.” Kuroo called out to Suga taking Iwaizumi to fetch another vehicle.

Suga drove off at the speed of light, towards the animal clinic he had only ever passed by on the way to somewhere else. Suga was only competent at treating minor injuries or stopping bleeding as long as it wasn't too bad. The odd time, he could even stich up a gash as long as it wasn't too deep. A bullet to the chest coupled with the breathing they witnessed in the white wolf would require professionals like Akaashi's parents. The clinic was the only place that could give him the help he needed. Just as Kuroo and Iwaizumi were about to leave a familiar voice called out to him.

“Kuroo, wait! What happened here?” A boy with familiar shoulder length dyed blonde hair asked.

“Kenma?” Kuroo asked in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“You two know each other?” Iwaizumi asked.

The pieces finally fell into place for him. When Kuroo asked how Kenma knew Suga he had said they worked together sometimes. Kuroo assumed it had something to do with the café, but now that Kenma was here, and he also knew Iwaizumi.

“No…” Kuroo mumbled softly shaking his head. “You can’t be… I-I-I can’t deal with this right now. I have to go see Bo. He needs me.” Kuroo brushed off Kenma’s soft touch on his arm and walked past the other hunters.

Iwaizumi shot Kenma a sympathetic look before following after Kuroo, but Kenma knew this would happen. He had been dreading it the moment he found out Kuroo was involved with werewolves. He planned on sitting down and telling Kuroo the truth about everything and explaining his situation. Kuroo had come to accept Suga, Oikawa, and Iwaizumi, so he had some hope for himself. But this was the wrong place, the wrong time, and the wrong situation for Kuroo to find out. He wasn’t sure the man would ever speak to him again. Kenma still hadn’t got the answer he wanted so he walked over to the other hunters who were all shocked, speechless, and motionless.

“What happened here?” Kenma asked for the second time.

Tobio was the only one who acknowledged his presence. “There was a fight between two werewolf packs. It was pretty brutal and bloody. Dad and some other people stopped us from interfering, and one of the packs came out victorious without even killing the others. But, father, he acted rashly and shot one of the wolves, I think it was the pack’s leader. The wolf was okay for awhile he even managed to save father from almost being killed by another wolf. But just now before you got here, he collapsed barely able to breath. I don’t know where they took him.”

“I do.” Kenma said softly, recalling the animal clinic Kuroo had talked about so fondly.

“Really? We should go! We need to go! We have to be there. That wolf saved our lives.” Tobio spewed his words all over the place.

“I think maybe we should go.” Asahi confirmed earning him agreement from everyone except Daichi who still hadn’t spoken a word.

Kenma knew this wasn’t going to go over well with Kuroo at all, but he couldn’t deny his team the opportunity to witness what he had always known werewolves possessed: feelings like sadness, pain, anger, frustration, kindness, and even love and loyalty. Hunters were brought up and trained to believe that werewolves didn’t have feelings, emotions, or anything resembling a heart. It was kind of hard to blame them for what they thought when it was practically drilled into their heads when they were young and easy to influence. But when you blatantly disregarded the facts laid out in front of you and continued doing what you always did, it became much harder to forgive. This would be a chance for him to lay out all those facts in front of the hunters with proof to back them up. Then they could decide if they still thought killing werewolves was the right and just thing to do. Kenma offered to drive them all to the clinic; everyone got in the van including Daichi, but he still hadn’t said anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the twentieth chapter: 
> 
> \- The first semester of school was almost over so Kuroo decides to have the family over to celebrate. Oikawa and Iwaizumi arrive early to help cook for everyone. Oikawa got everyone into an awkward mood when he asked about Bokuto's scars. This made him realize the cruelty in the hunters that he hadn't been aware of before.  
> \- Lev, Kindaichi, and Kunimi ran into Tendou and the new recruits while they were training in the woods. Tendou killed Lev and tried to kill Kunimi only to leave him with a broken leg. The two survivors made their way back home and warn the others.  
> \- Yaku lost it when he heard Lev was dead and left to confront the pack alone. Kunimi and Kindaichi are put on house arrest because of their wounds, and Hanamaki and Matsukawa seek out Bokuto's help.  
> \- Ushijima, Atsumu, and Semi run into Asahi and Noya out on a hunting patrol. Semi bites Noya, but he and Asahi are able to escape and call for backup. Suga and Kenma try to dissuade the hunters from going after the werewolves without seeing the full picture. Suga leaves to warn Bokuto and the others.  
> \- To save Yaku, Bokuto leads his family plus Hanamaki and Matsukawa to confront the pack. While Kuroo and Suga try to occupy the hunters so nobody gets killed.  
> \- When they all arrive Yaku is fighting Tendou, and the hunters are already there. Yaku is shot and killed by Ennoshita, and then the pack and the family are thrown into a battle.  
> \- The humans try to convince the hunters to stop, but daichi won't listen. Noya ends up admitting he was bitten and daichi says they will have to kill him later. Iwaizumi tells them that Oikawa was turned into a wolf but still had his humanity. Suga tells Tobio that Hinata is a werewolf and convinces him to stop fighting. Most of the other hunters start to understand and decide to stop fighting as well.  
> \- Daichi ends up shooting at Hinata only to hit Bokuto who knocks the other out of the way just in time. Ushijima seizes his opportunity to kill Daichi, so that the hunters and Bokuto's family kill each other off. Bokuto is able to save Daichi and the other hunters from Ushijima. Iwaizumi threatens Ushijima to leave and never come back with a gun to the wolf's head.  
> \- Tendou convinces Ushijima they can't win and can start their empire somewhere else where there is less competition. Sakusa, Atsumu, Osamu, and Suna take Ushijima's loss as an opportunity to leave the pack. Both groups leave and go their separate ways.  
> \- After the chaos Bokuto has trouble breathing and they rush him to the clinic.  
> \- Kuroo finds out that Kenma is part of the hunter organization. The hunters are all in shock at being saved by a werewolf, they decide it would be a good idea to go to the clinic and discuss everything with the werewolves and humans.


	21. Our Shattered Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Death  
> This chapter contains mentions of death, and a couple small scenes describing a dead body. If you wish to skip this part of the story don't read the paragraph that starts out like 'A couple other me toos rang out...' and the paragraph that starts out like 'Suga was the last to visit the room.'.

The ride to the clinic seemed like it took forever, like they couldn’t get there fast enough. Akaashi was in the back holding the white wolf’s head in his arms. He had his head pressed firmly to the top of Bokuto’s head allowing all his tears to be absorbed by the stunning white fur. The other wolves were surrounding the pair with worried eyes; none of them knew how to help or comfort them so they just stood and stared in silence. Akaashi’s hands that firmly gripped Bokuto’s fluffy coat released their tension so he could run his hands soothingly down the wolf’s back. Bokuto was still having trouble breathing and now it was beginning to get harder for him to focus his gaze, but he stubbornly locked on to Akaashi’s emerald eyes, that became the loveliest green when he cried, and tried his best to keep focused.

“Kou, you’ll be alright. Just hold on a little longer.” Akaashi whispered as more tears fell from his face.

Hinata had moved to the distraught man’s side and began rubbing his nose gently against Akaashi’s right arm. He really hated seeing his family in such a state, especially when it was Akaashi and Bokuto. Akaashi moved his face from pressing against the wolf’s head to his neck where his scent gland was located. The ebony-haired man gently began nuzzling his face against the wolf’s scent gland, and the familiar sunshine scent that he loved so much encased him in a warm blanket of love. In that moment Akaashi felt like he could feel all of Bokuto’s emotions wrapping around him in a protective bubble, and it made him feel incredibly calm and safe. His tears stopped flowing and he just enjoyed all of the love he could feel emanating off the other. The word love came to mind, but it wasn’t near enough to encapsulate how he felt for the wolf, and how he knew the wolf felt for him. They were soulmates, unbelievably special to each other, and tied together by a strong bond that was beyond comprehension. 

The other wolves also began to relax as the sweet smell of sugary caramel apples hit their noses. Oikawa was the first to break the moment by nudging at Akaashi’s pants pocket. The man finally in a calm state of mind realized what the chocolate wolf was insinuating with his small gesture. Akaashi still needed to call his parents and tell them to meet them at the clinic. He quickly got his phone out and called his mother, who he knew always carried her phone on her. He briefly explained the situation and that they needed his parents to be ready when they got there. Akaashi’s mother was incredibly worried but she didn’t take even a second to start questioning him; she replied with a simple ‘alright’ and hung up the phone before grabbing Akaashi’s father and hightailing it to the clinic. 

* * *

When the van pulled up into the clinic parking lot Akaashi’s parents were waiting for them with a steel cart on wheels. Akaashi opened up the back of the van and all the wolves spilled out one after another; Suga parked the vehicle and came out to help lift Bokuto onto the metal cart. The wolf was unconscious now and he was still breathing short and shallow, but he was still breathing. Akaashi’s father pushed the cart into clinic heading straight for the operating room with everyone else following closely behind him. Based on the information Akaashi had given them, his parents thought the bullet might have punctured a lung causing it to collapse. If that was the case, they needed to deal with the bullet and remove the excess air leaking out as soon as possible.

Akaashi, Suga, and the other wolves waited anxiously in the hallway outside of the operating room. They were soon joined by Kuroo and Iwaizumi who arrived a couple minutes after them in one of the other hunter vans Iwaizumi took the liberty of borrowing. Kuroo immediately rushed to Akaashi’s side asking for any updates, but Akaashi didn’t have anything to say that Kuroo didn’t already know. Akaashi's parents had just took him into the operating room, and they wouldn't know anything until they were done. Iwaizumi called for his boyfriend, and Oikawa practically leapt into the man’s arms knocking him to the ground. Iwaizumi gave the chocolate wolf a quick pat on the head before pushing the wolf off himself so he could get back up. Iwaizumi placed himself in one of the chairs in the waiting room with the large chocolate wolf sitting between his legs facing his partner. There was no doubt they were both worried, and they could see it clear as day on each other’s face.

A minute later Kuroo angrily plopped himself down beside the pair. The black-haired man was fuming with anger, but it was clear that he was just incredibly worried about his best friend; his worry just manifested itself in the form of anger. For now, it would be best to let Kuroo sit in silence until he cooled down or they got news on Bokuto’s condition. Kyoutani was the next to join them in the waiting room followed closely by his two hovering worried friends Matsukawa and Hanamaki. The sandy-colored wolf seemed strangely subdued, normally he would be growling and snapping at everyone around him, and in this situation, everyone would expect him to be more irritable than usual. Instead, the wolf remained subdued, almost appearing calm, which was incredibly unsettling for anyone who knew him. The simple fact that Kyoutani hadn't snapped at the two hovering around him was concerning in itself.

After a couple more minutes passed Hinata, Terushima, Akaashi, and Suga joined the others in the waiting room. The little orange wolf curled himself into a ball hiding in the corner with his fluffy tail laid neatly over his face. He was incredibly scared, and the fear was really starting to take its toll on him. His mind wandered in a million different directions, until Terushima saddled up next to his friend. He pushed himself against the orange wolf comfortingly, not having any words of comfort for him, but the least he could do was this. It seemed to help because Hinata had removed his tail from his face and moved into a sitting position pushing back against the other wolf. They needed to be strong while they awaited news. Although, waiting for news was torture and they hadn’t even been waiting more than ten minutes.

Suga decided he would do whatever he could to help out the best he could, and right now the only thing he could think to do was make sure nobody else sported any serious injuries from the earlier fight. He slowly made his way around the room checking over everybody. The wolves were all pretty lucky: most of them had gotten away almost unscathed like Hinata, Terushima, and Oikawa, a couple of them would have bruises like Matsukawa and Hanamaki, and then Kyoutani had some pretty long scratch marks along his sides and a ripped ear. Although, nothing was too serious, Suga made sure to clean them all up anyways. He cleaned up the little cuts he could find on Matsukawa and Hanamaki, he made sure to clean up the cut on Oikawa’s nose, and he paid a little more attention to Kyoutani’s scratches and torn ear.

The bell on the clinic’s front entrance signaled the arrival of a guest. The others’ heads all shot up to see who would come into the clinic when it was supposed to be closed. All of their eyes fell on some unwanted guests. Kenma and Tobio sheepishly walked into the waiting room followed by the other hunters. Akaashi didn’t have the energy to deal with or even care about them. He returned to the hallway and slumped himself against the wall. The only thing he could think about was Bokuto and he didn't have the ability to deal with the idiots that showed up in the waiting room. Hinata and Oikawa joined him deciding they didn’t want any part of the situation about to unfold in the waiting room. After a little while of waiting Akaashi silently fetched some clothes for Oikawa and Hinata so they could return to human form.

Terushima, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa minded their own business but remained in the waiting room to watch the scene before them unfold. Kyoutani wasted no time in showing the hunters how he felt about their presence there. The sandy and brown wolf stepped forward growling menacingly causing the hunters to hesitate and become tense. Iwaizumi blocked Kyoutani’s view of the hunters, this was not the place to start something, and it appeared as if the hunters came in peace. Kyoutani quit growling and went to sit next to Hanamaki and Matsukawa, but not before glaring at the hunters. The hunters then proceeded to enter the building. However, Kyoutani wasn’t the only one who didn’t approve of the hunters presence there. 

“Why are you guys here?” Kuroo demanded.

“We just wanted to check on your friend.” Kenma answered for the group.

“Ha! You guys are the ones that shot him.” Kuroo scoffed. “And none of you will be going anywhere near him, especially you.” Kuroo looked past Kenma directly at Daichi.

The hunters all stepped away from their leader as Kuroo singled him out of the group. Daichi still seemed to be in a daze of shock. His eyes met Kuroo’s but they lacked the focus of someone who was paying attention to their surroundings. Daichi’s thoughts were still reeling and the only words he could muster were jumbled.

“The wolf. It saved me. I tried to kill… I shot it. It still saved me?”

“Of course, _HE_ did. That’s just Bo, too kind for his own good.” Kuroo sneered at the hunter.

“Daichi, you shouldn’t be here.” Suga spoke up.

Daichi seemed to snap out of his daze after hearing his husband’s voice. “I know, but I don’t understand. Why would a wolf do that for me? I-I need to ask it-him.” Daichi corrected last minute.

“A lot of us would like to talk to him too. But it was you who took that away from us.” Kuroo was just yelling angrily now.

“Daichi I don’t think your confused sense of morality is what is most important right now.” Suga pointed out trying to get his husband to stop speaking and making the situation worse.

Kuroo stomped off and took a seat beside the wolves followed by Suga and Iwaizumi. The hunters shuffled further into the waiting room taking seats on the opposite side of Kuroo and the others. Tobio knew it wasn’t the time, that was clear by the tension in the air, but he had to ask anyway.

“Where is Hinata?”

Terushima’s ears pricked up at the question. Did this brat seriously have the audacity to ask about Hinata after trying to kill him and then nearly killing him a second time? An unconscious low growl escaped through slightly bared teeth. It pissed him off that all of sudden Tobio could just walk in here and act like he actually cared for the little orange boy.

Suga hesitated before answering his son. “He is with Akaashi and Oikawa waiting for news on Bokuto’s condition. I think you should just leave him be for now Tobio. He might not welcome your company, especially right now.”

Tobio let his head fall slightly, I mean what was he expecting. Of course, Hinata didn’t want to see him. It all made sense now why his friend had been avoiding him at school. It was all because he was a stupid hunter and he stupidly tried to kill his best friend without even knowing it was him. And now, his father had tried to kill him again but instead ended up shooting someone important to him. There was no doubt in Tobio’s mind that Hinata probably hated him. His one and only friend hated him.

Suga couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of sympathy for his son. He knew how much Tobio cared for Hinata, and how much it hurt when his friend had started avoiding him, but Suga also knew the other side of things now. He couldn’t blame the orange wolf for avoiding the person who had tried to kill him; it was only natural that Hinata would feel betrayed and uncomfortable around Tobio after that.

Kyoutani had some harsh words he wanted to share with the hunters, but he wouldn't be able to do that in wolf form. He excused himself into one of the back rooms rummaging around for any spare clothes they might have. When he found some he quickly changed and made his way back out to the waiting room.

The other hunters remained quiet. Ennoshita who had been the one to shoot and kill Yaku, couldn’t bring himself to say anything. As much as he felt guilty for his actions now after hearing everything the humans had to say about werewolves, he didn’t want to make the situation worse by saying the wrong thing, so he remained silent. Tsukishima, however, could care less; he didn’t give a shit about any of these werewolves or even his fellow hunters for that matter. He just found hunting a pass time to take his mind off school and earn him good money. He would have killed all those wolves on the spot right then and there if he didn’t know he would never make it out alive.

Asahi was the first to break the silence as he directed a question at their leader. “So, what are we going to do about Noya?”

“I don’t know what to think anymore.” Daichi responded half heartedly.

From across the room Kyoutani, who had just re-emerged from one of the back rooms, scoffed at their exchange. He couldn’t believe that hunters would even consider killing their so-called friends just because they were bitten by a wolf. Who in their right mind would purposefully kill anyone they cared for? He almost wished that the hunter who was bitten went insane unable to cope with his new oversensitive hearing and smell just to teach the stupid hunters a lesson. On the other hand, that would probably be counterproductive and prove to the hunters that their suspicions about werewolves were right: that werewolves were crazy killing machines with no sense of sanity or emotions. Then again now that Kyoutani thought about, the boy they claimed had been bitten still smelled like a human. They were even more stupid than Kyoutani had originally thought.

"You're all fucking idiots!" Kyoutani yelled at the hunters. 

Everyone turned to him in surprise. None of them had even noticed he left, and then returned in human form, until he spoke up. 

"I wonder how many of your friends you've killed for no reason?" Kyoutani sneered.

"What do you mean? We had a reason! It was to they didn't lose themselves and turn into killing machines." Daichi returned the harsh tone.

"Hahaha! First of all, people who are turned don't lose themselves. They just get overwhelmed by their new abilities and have a hard time focusing. With proper training they can learn to control those abilities, and then they will be perfectly fine. Oikawa is a prime example." Kyoutani retorted.

"Then could you train Noya? Will you please teach him to control those abilities, so that he doesn't become overwhelmed!" Asahi interrupted.

Kyoutani scoffed again before answering the man wearing a bun. "There is no need."

"What? But you just said..."

"I wasn't finished." Kyoutani snapped. "Another thing you stupid hunters may not know is that not every wolf has the ability to turn humans into werewolves." Kyoutani finished with a wicked smirk. 

"What do you mean?" Daichi questioned harshly.

"What I'm saying is that you have probably killed countless of your friends for no reason, just like you would have killed that little hunter for no reason. He still has the scent of a human. I guess that makes you hunters pretty fucking stupid, now doesn't it?" Kyoutani growled. 

Neither Daichi nor Asahi could respond to that; all of the hunters were stunned into silence. Was that really true? Had they killed people who were never even in danger of changing at all? The waiting room fell silent; the only sounds were the occasional anxious tapping of feet or fingers. The air was still thick with tension and everyone sent looks to others in the room, but nobody dared to break the silence again.

* * *

About and hour or two later Makoto and Akio came out of the operating room. Akaashi jumped to his feet the minute he noticed them closely followed by Oikawa and Hinata. Akaashi walked up to his parents looking between the two expectantly. Their expressions gave nothing away, but that was pretty common for his family, he was the same way after all. After a short pause, his mother was the first to speak.

“We managed to drain the air from his chest cavity and close up the hole in his lung.” Makoto started, but was stopped by her husband’s hand placed on her shoulder. She took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m sorry but he didn’t make it…. The damage was more extensive than we thought, and he had severe internal bleeding. I’m so sorry.”

Akaashi’s breath caught in his throat. Did he hear that right? He didn’t make it. Bokuto, didn’t make it? As soon as he heard those words leave his mother’s mouth, he stopped listening. His mind couldn’t process anything more than those few words. He could see that her lips were still moving so she was obviously still speaking, but Akaashi couldn’t hear her. His mind was blank, and his ears were ringing drowning out the sounds around him. He just barely caught a glimpse of Hinata wrapped up tightly in Oikawa’s grip his whole-body convulsing as he sobbed. But even Hinata’s cries were silent to Akaashi’s ears. He was beginning to get overwhelmed; he felt claustrophobic like the walls were closing in on him. He couldn’t stay there any longer; he had leave now.

Akaashi started heading for the waiting room to leave. He didn’t even hear when Oikawa called out to him, and he didn’t even feel anything as the fluffy brown-haired man grabbed his wrist. Oikawa pulled Akaashi back to face him, and all that he saw on the ebony-haired man’s face was a dead blank expression almost ghost like. Akaashi’s eyes were dim, his lips were pressed into their usual neutral expression, his complexion was slightly lighter than usual, and he had this ominous blank stare. His expression was unreadable and that was what sacred Oikawa the most: the man should be having a meltdown not staying so calm and composed.

Akaashi continued his mission for the exit not even acknowledging Oikawa’s interference. Little did Oikawa know Akaashi wasn’t acting calm or composed at all, in fact he was having an internal meltdown. He could hardly breath as he walked straight through the waiting room and out the door, not noticing as the others in the waiting room jumped to their feet waiting expectantly for Akaashi to tell them what was going on. When he just kept walking out the door the others looked amongst each other confusedly before Oikawa came out with a sobbing Hinata wrapped in a tight hug.

Akaashi burst through the clinic doors breathing heavily. He needed some fresh air, he needed to be away from everybody, he needed time to process. As soon as he made it outside, he fell to his knees and vomited all over the curb. His throat was burning with the acid from the vomit and he was breathing heavier now. He threw up a couple more times before he had nothing left in his stomach to be expelled. He finally managed to steady his breathing after heaving over the pavement. There were so many emotions overwhelming his mind and body that he didn’t know what to do with himself. He sat on the edge of the curb next to the pile of vomit beside him and hugged his legs together tightly. He buried his face in between his legs and rocked back and forth slowly, trying everything to calm his mind. He was angry, he was afraid, he was aggravated, he was anxious, he was annoyed, he was betrayed, he was bitter, he was breathless, he was chocked, he was clueless, he was concerned, he was defeated, he was dejected, he was despaired, he was doubtful… he was sad…. He was all of these things. He felt everything at once, and it was all too much to handle.

When his mind calmed down and stopped listing everything he was feeling and organizing them into alphabetic order, he felt a new type of feeling. He felt alone, cold, detached, empty, indifferent, lethargic, numb…. No those were all the wrong words. He felt _NOTHING_ as if his heart was completely hallow and incapable of feelings. His body began to feel sore and heavy. He could barely even keep his eyes open, but he forced them to remain open and stared blankly at the road in front of him. Where was he again? Why was he here? Was he lost? How come he couldn’t feel anything? He really wanted to be able to feel something, anything, even if only a little bit. Even that previous overwhelming storm of emotions was better than the nothingness that was left inside of him. Why had the storm ceased its swirling? Was his mind and body so overwhelmed that they had both just stopped working?

* * *

The wolves all sat back down unable to meet Oikawa’s gaze. Suga and Iwaizumi also sat back down in their chairs with clenched teeth and tears streaming down their faces. Kuroo was the only one still standing: he either was so anxious he didn’t pick up on the obvious situation or he just didn’t want to believe it.

“So, how’s Bo?”

Oikawa looked up at Kuroo with hopelessly sad eyes. “Tetsu-chan. I-I’m so sorry.”

“No. No. No. Bo is fine right? The operation was a success and he is sleeping. Please tell me he’s alright.” Kuroo denied everything with all his might.

There was no choice left, as much as he didn’t want to Oikawa was going to have to come out and say it. “Kou-chan didn’t make it. Makoto said they managed to patch up his damaged lung, but the internal bleeding was too severe. They tried their best, and Kou fought hard, but in the end the damage was too extensive.”

“I…but…he…. There’s no way! Bo is strong, so strong. A little bullet couldn’t hurt him.” Kuroo attempted.

“Tetsu-chan, not even Kou-chan is invincible.” Oikawa couldn’t stop the tears now, and he hugged Hinata tighter.

Iwaizumi got up and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and Hinata, silent tears falling harder and faster now. Suga and Kyoutani were next to join them. Akaashi’s parents came out of the back room offering clothes to the remaining wolves, who silently accepted them and changed in the back office. When they came back each joined in on the group hug in turn. All of them were sobbing messes now. Kuroo remained frozen unable to join the group. When his eyes met Iwaizumi’s the spiky-haired man motioned for Kuroo to join them, but he just couldn’t. Kuroo looked to Akio and Makoto for a different answer hoping Oikawa had heard wrong and scared them unnecessarily. Makoto couldn’t meet Kuroo’s hopeful eyes: she couldn’t deliver the news a second time. Kuroo was like her second son and she couldn’t bare to see him look so hurt and defeated. Kuroo looked to Akio who also lowered his gaze but shook his head affirming Oikawa’s words.

The hunters still sitting in the other corner of the waiting room remained silent with sullen looks. Kenma was the only one among them to make a move. The long-haired boy stood and made his way to Kuroo’s side. He liked to think they had gotten really close over the past months they had spent together, and he wanted to offer any support he could to his distraught friend. Kenma placed a hand Kuroo’s shoulder, but the taller man shrugged it off.

“Don’t touch me! This is all your fault!” His accusation came across more hurt than angry, but the anger was still there.

Kenma backed away from Kuroo. As much as he was expecting Kuroo’s blame, he hadn’t been expecting it to hurt so much. Kenma could feel a small sting in his chest at the accusation and he started feeling incredibly guilty. Kenma couldn’t help but feel slightly responsible for the mission going wrong. He hadn’t been able to convince Daichi to stop. Maybe if he tried harder he could have convinced Daichi, maybe if he’d come up with a plan things wouldn’t have turned out this way, maybe if he’d arrived sooner Bokuto wouldn’t be dead and Kuroo wouldn’t be so hurt. Kuroo’s accusation wasn’t completely off base though. Kenma hadn’t directly participated in the killing of werewolves, but he might as well have. Hell, he planned the killing of the werewolves. Wasn’t that even worse? He definitely could have done some things differently this time. Maybe Kuroo was right and it was all his fault.

“Kuroo! Kenma wasn’t the one who shot Bokuto, he wasn’t even there when it happened. You can’t just blame him because you are upset.” Iwaizumi told the black-haired male.

“He might not have been the one to shoot, but he might as well have! He is a hunter same as them, they are all at fault for this, and I won’t ever forgive them.” Kuroo’s tone was icy cold and it sliced Kenma’s heart to pieces.

“You can’t go around saying all hunters are bad! That is just like what they are doing to werewolves, and Bokuto wouldn’t want that.” Iwaizumi said.

“What do you know about what Bo would have wanted?! He was my best friend!” Kuroo retorted.

“He was **_OUR FAMILY_**!” Iwaizumi corrected him.

That was the breaking point for Kuroo; His anger dissipated, and he stumbled backwards. Kyoutani and Oikawa caught the black-haired man before he could fall to the ground. Oikawa stroked his messy black hair as Kuroo let the sobs consume him.

“I’ll take you all home.” Suga offered.

“Wait, I need to see him.” Kuroo said.

“Are you sure Tetsu?” Oikawa asked serious enough to drop the -chan for once.

“Yes. I need… to say goodbye.” Kuroo concluded.

A couple other ‘me toos’ rang out among the other people present. Akio allowed each person in one at a time to say their goodbyes. Kuroo was the first to see him. Bokuto’s body was cold now, it wouldn’t be long until his body grew stiff with rigor mortis. Bokuto’s eye lids were closed and thank god for that; nobody would have been capable of looking into the previously glowing golden eyes full of life, now presumably dead and blank. Kuroo couldn’t even imagine seeing that kind of cold, dead expression in his friend’s eyes because the man was always so expressive, especially with his bright golden eyes. Kuroo’s tears fell onto the wolf’s body before him as his hand gently stroked his soft fur. The last time he was able to pet Bokuto’s head like this was when he was comforting the wolf before his surgery to remove a bullet. He really regretted it now: he wished he had been able to pet the wolf more, he wished he had been able to laugh with his best friend more, he wished he had been able to get kicked out of more stores with him, he wished he had been able to taste more of his cooking, he wished he had been able to take more runs with the man… There was so much he wished he could still do. He wished for more _TIME_! Before he left, Kuroo whispered a sweet ‘I love you’ into the wolf’s ear, as if his friend would be able to hear him.

Hinata was the next to see Bokuto. The boy was still a sobbing mess and when he was let into the room he instantly clung to the white wolf’s fur. He allowed his whole body to be consumed with violent sobs as his grip tightened in Bokuto’s fur. It reminded him of the way he had stuffed his face into the wolf’s fur once before after being rescued from the hunters and being too terrified to leave his side. Once again Bokuto had come to the rescue like he always did. He saved Hinata’s life at the cost of his own, and that weighed heavily on the young boy’s heart. Bokuto was a friend, a mentor, a role model, and an important family member to the boy, and it was his fault he was dead. How was the rest of the family supposed to forgive Hinata for his carelessness? How was he going to forgive himself? He wasn’t sure how he was going to live without Bokuto. When Hinata’s sobs finally turned to silent tears, he picked his head up shouted out his love into the empty room. He then exited hesitantly as if staying longer would give him the opportunity to speak with Bokuto one last time.

Kyoutani made his way inside the room and had to bite his lip to keep from complaining about how quiet it was. Bokuto was never this quiet. Everything was wrong. This wasn’t how Bokuto looked or acted. What was he expecting though? Of course, it wasn’t. His friend, his family, the place where he belonged, it was all but dead. There was no second chance, no coming back from this; Bokuto was dead and would remain that way. Kyoutani bit his lip harder drawing blood as he held back his sobs, but he was unable to hold back the tears that streaked his rosy cheeks. Finally, he had found a place to belong again, and it was ripped away from him just like the first time. Why did his safe places have to keep dying on him? First Yahaba and now Bokuto. Was he ever going to find a permanent home? Kyoutani couldn’t help but feel like it had been a mistake to enter this room. Bokuto was gone and now so was all of his hope. He became frustrated and irritated at not being able to do a single thing about it.

Suga was the last to visit the room. He held himself together before stepping inside, but he couldn’t hold it together any longer after seeing Bokuto’s lifeless body. He knew it was going to be hard to see a man so full of energy and happiness reduced to nothing more than a dead body, but he had to see him. He had to get some things off his mind, and there was no way he was going to leave these words unsaid even if Bokuto couldn’t hear him.

“I’m _so sorry_.” Suga sobbed. “I can’t believe I let this happen! It’s all my fault! It’s all my fault!” He screamed.

After Suga was able to calm down a little bit, he picked himself back up. He straightened his posture, wiped away his tears, and said his final words to the wolf who had become one of the greatest friends he could ever ask for.

“Sorry, I just needed to let that out. I will deal with the hunters. I promise, I won’t let them lay another hand on our family, and I promise to do my best for the others. Wish us luck, Koutarou.” Suga said with the smallest warm smile he could manage.

After saying their goodbyes, the werewolves along with the few humans left the building. They left the hunters sitting stunned to their chairs in the waiting room. Upon exiting the building, they found Akaashi sitting on the curb. A pile of vomit next to him, and a trail of saliva running down his shirt and chin. They had all been so busy with their own grief they had completely forgotten Akaashi had left. Oikawa walked up to the man who wore the same unreadable expression on his face and wiped off his chin before helping him to his feet and helping him into the van. Akaashi sat shotgun while Suga drove and he looked out the window the entire time, ignoring the silver-haired man’s worried glances. The others all stuffed themselves in the back.

Upon arriving at Kuroo, Akaashi, ~~and Bokuto’s~~ place they all decided to stay together that night. Everyone needed each other’s support and there was no way they were going to leave each other alone. The only two exceptions were Matsukawa and Hanamaki who had to return home to the two youngsters they left behind. After arriving at home Kuroo was thankful for everyone’s presence there, he knew the house would feel too empty without Bokuto there to fill it with his overwhelming presence. Kuroo made his way over to the small linen closet and grabbed extra pillows and covers and matts to be laid out on the floor for everyone. Misty excitedly greeted everyone but soon came to realize something was wrong when no one paid her any attention and seemed gloomy. She immediately retreated to Kuroo’s room not bothering the guests any further. Apple Pie darted for his cat tree hiding from all of the unwelcomed guests intruding into his home.

Iwaizumi helped Kuroo get out the left-over food from earlier in the day. Nobody really had much of an appetite, but they all knew they had to eat anyways. Everyone except for Akaashi ate a little bit at the very least, and upon urging the ebony-haired man to eat something they got no response. Kuroo decided to let it go for today, but he would make sure Akaashi ate next time. Whatever it took! Akaashi was the first to retire making his way to Bokuto’s room before pausing and realizing nobody would be there. Oikawa seemed to have noticed his strange pause and asked him about it.

“Where are you going Aka-chan? I thought you said you were going to sleep.”

“I did…. I was.” Akaashi replied for the first time that evening, his tone was flat and emotionless like always.

Oikawa looked at him quizzically knowing that wasn’t the way to Akaashi’s room. Kuroo who noticed their exchange quietly cursed under his breath before rushing over to intervene.

“Akaashi has been sleeping with Bo in his room for the past few months.” Kuroo explained to Oikawa.

Oikawa gave Kuroo an understanding nod before getting up and guiding Akaashi to his own room. “I’ll handle this Tetsu, you really need some rest too.”

“What about you?” Kuroo asked with a hint of worry.

“I always sleep great after so much emotional turmoil.” Oikawa tried to joke.

Kuroo was thankful because he desperately needed to take care of himself for one night, so he didn’t press Oikawa any further. The black-haired man sent him a grateful nod before arranging the others into their sleeping spots. Oikawa shut Akaashi’s door so all the noise from the outside wouldn’t leak through. After Oikawa had taken Akaashi away Kyoutani thought there was something he should probably mention to the others. It was important and even though everyone was a mess right now, he couldn't leave it unsaid.

“I know it’s late and everyone is tired, but I do have something to say. I know that I have mentioned that Akaashi wasn’t able to feel Bokuto’s emotions through their bond, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t able to feel the bond at all. The two of them were still connected in a way that can’t really be explained, so Akaashi will still be able to feel the lack of the bond’s presence. He used to feel deeply connected to Bokuto but now that connection has snapped. I have no idea what kind of emotional damage that could do to someone, so I suggest we keep our eyes on him.” Kyoutani said.

Kuroo and Iwaizumi both nodded to the werewolf before turning off the lights and heading to sleep.

* * *

It was clear to Oikawa that Akaashi hadn’t shed a single tear since he heard the news because his eyes were perfectly fine, not puffy or red in the least. He had been crying in the van on the way to the clinic, but as soon as he heard the news of Bokuto’s death, there was nothing. Oikawa hadn’t seen any tears, or facial expression on his friend’s face. He was acting just like he normally did, except maybe even more extremely emotionless, stoic, and composed. In any other situation that might be a good thing but in this one it certainly wasn’t. Although Akaashi seemed a little less dazed than before, he still had a blank stare and wasn’t quite all there yet. The ebony-haired male’s facial expression hadn’t changed even once and showed nothing but his usual neutral expression. Oikawa had no idea what was going on in his friend’s head which made him a lot harder to approach and talk to.

“Umm… Akaashi I noticed you haven’t cried.” Oikawa said hesitantly.

“Yeah. So.” Akaashi asked tone completely neutral and flat that it was scary.

There was no intonation, no cracks, no pauses, no hesitation, no feeling, no emotions, no nothing. They were just words devoid of any meaning. Oikawa wasn’t even sure Akaashi knew what he was saying or that he had actually processed the information. People didn’t usually react like this to someone they loved dying. It sent shivers down his spine at seeing how stone cold Akaashi could be.

“It’s just aren’t you sad or upset?” Oikawa questioned.

“Yes.”

“Aka-chan, you realize Kou-chan is dead. Right?”

“Yes.”

Okay this was starting to get really scary. Akaashi wasn’t giving him any reactions whatsoever. Oikawa was at a loss for how to help his friend. But it was clear that he desperately needed the help.

“I’m tired.” Akaashi stated flatly.

“Okay, you go to sleep.”

Akaashi got into the bed not even bothering to change his clothes and pulled the covers over himself and faced towards the wall away from Oikawa who had grabbed a blanket and pillow for himself so he could sleep on the floor.

“Hey, Aka-chan could I sleep on the bed with you?” Oikawa asked thinking he might be able to physically comfort his friend just by being close.

“No.” Akaashi said simply.

Oikawa respected his friend’s choice and made himself a spot on the floor. Everybody else in the house fell asleep almost instantly: they were all exhausted from the day and needed a good rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the twenty first chapter:
> 
> \- On the ride over to the clinic Akaashi calls his parents and tells them to meet him at the clinic. He explains Bokuto's situation, and they think the werewolf might be suffering from a collapsed lung that requires immediate surgery.  
> \- The hunters show up at the clinic. Akaashi, Hinata, and Oikawa leave the waiting room to wait for news on Bokuto in the hallway outside the operating room. Kuroo is angry and yells at the hunters.  
> \- Daichi says he is confused about why Bokuto saved him, and he wants to ask the werewolf about it. Tobio asks about Hinata. Suga tells them both that now isn't a good time for those topics.  
> \- Asahi asks Daichi about Nishinoya's situation, and is interrupted by Kyoutani who calls them all stupid. Kyoutani explains that not all werewolves can turn people into werewolves, and he also tells them that Nishinoya is still human.  
> \- Some time later Akaashi's parents inform Oikawa, Hinata, and Akaashi that Bokuto didn't make it. Akaashi freaks out and leaves the building. He has an internal meltdown, but when his mind and body become too overwhelmed by his emotions he unconsciously stops himself from feeling everything all together.  
> \- Oikawa and Hinata break the news to the others, and everybody becomes a sobbing mess. Kuroo tries his best to deny it at first, and then when Kenma tries to comfort him he blames everything on him.  
> \- Kuroo, Hinata, Kyoutani, and Suga decide to pay one last visit to Bokuto so they can say goodbye. Kuroo is devastated. Hinata blames himself for for Bokuto's death. Kyoutani regrets his decision to see Bokuto in his current state, and feels like he has lost his home. Suga also blames himself for Bokuto's death, and promises to deal with the hunters.  
> \- Everyone stays at Kuroo and Akaashi's place so that no one has to be alone. After Akaashi leaves for bed, Kyoutani mentions that Akaashi might be experiencing Bokuto's loss a lot harder than normal due to the bond they shared. Oikawa tries his best to comfort Akaashi, but nothing seems to be working. Akaashi remains completely numb and totally unfeeling; therefore, Oikawa is at a loss of what to do because his friend is acting so emotionless.


	22. Picking up the Broken Pieces Left Behind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Self-harm, Blood  
> This chapter contains a scene depicting self-harm, mentions of self-harm, and blood. If you wish to skip this part of the story don't read the paragraph that starts out like 'Akaashi tore his eyes away from the mirror...'. The rest of the chapter contains mentions of depression, feelings of hopelessness, anger, and other strong emotions. If you do not wish to read this type of thing I recommend skipping the whole chapter.  
> If you do skip this part of the story or the whole chapter you can read the notes at the end of this chapter. They will highlight all of the important points covered in this chapter, so that you still get all the important information needed to understand what is going on.

The next morning came and Kuroo saw off all of their guests leaving the house relatively empty. He was right: the house did feel empty without Bokuto, but it felt even more empty because Akaashi wasn’t even truly there. Despite his efforts Kuroo wasn’t able to get him out of bed that day, nor was he able to get him to eat anything. Kuroo was still far too tired to argue with him so he let it go when his persistence lost against Akaashi’s stubbornness. Maybe Akaashi just needed a little more time?

After his unsuccessful attempts at getting Akaashi out of his room Kuroo plopped himself down on the couch with a loud sigh. Apple Pie who was curled up on the couch a few inches away looked up to glance at the man. Kuroo tilted his head to the side so he could observe his cat.

“What am I supposed to do now?” Kuroo asked the cat as if expecting a response.

The cat merely placed his head back down on the couch. Kuroo reached out his hand to pet the cat’s head, but he was met with an annoyed growl. Apple Pie didn’t like being disturbed when he was sleeping, and he seemed to be in a much grumpier mood than usual.

“You know you could be a little nicer to me. I am the one who feeds you after all.” Kuroo sighed heavily.

Misty made her way over to Kuroo and placed her head on his lap, begging for his attention. He looked down at her before tapping his hand on the couch beside him, signaling for her to get up on the couch. Without hesitation the Dalmatian sprung onto the couch causing Apple Pie to be squashed. With a loud hiss and some fierce swipes of his claws the cat retreated to his cat tree away from the others. Misty who was never allowed up on the furniture happily laid her head in Kuroo’s lap to be petted.

“You sure seem more clingy than usual today. Oh, that’s right! I guess you didn’t get your morning run today, did you? Shit! It’s only the first day without him, and I already feel like my life is falling apart! How am I supposed to live the rest of my life without him? How am I supposed to take care of the others when I can’t even take care of myself or my pets?”

Misty looked up at Kuroo with her most adorable puppy eyes and a wagging tail. She had perked up the minute Kuroo had mentioned the word run and was now patiently waiting for him to get up so they could go. Kuroo chuckled at her.

“You’re right. I guess I should start by actually taking my own dog for a walk. Maybe some fresh air will do me some good.”

Kuroo slowly drug himself off the couch and made his way to the door to find Misty’s leash. Upon arriving at the front door Misty was happily spinning circles and barking at him. Kuroo struggled to locate the dog’s leash: the last time he had taken her out was that one time he went for a run with Bokuto. Of course, he would have no idea where Bokuto kept the leash. He never had a reason to ask. After a few minutes of looking around Kuroo slumped to his knees.

“I can’t do anything without him around.” Kuroo complained.

Upon seeing her owner slumped onto the ground Misty made her way over to him and began licking his face excitedly as if encouraging him to hurry up. She was clearly expecting a walk, and there was no taking back his words now.

“I can’t find your leash girl.” Kuroo mumbled through the face licks.

Misty’s ears perked up at the word leash and she stopped lapping at Kuroo’s face. After staring at her human a moment longer, she turned around and began rummaging through the messy closet. A minute later Misty emerged with a blue leather leash clasped between her teeth and bright shiny eyes. Kuroo smiled at her for a moment. Of course, Bokuto had taught her to fetch her own leash, and of course the leash would be in the closet. Kuroo hadn’t even tried looking that hard and yet he was so fast to break down into hopelessness. It was an obvious place to keep a leash, but it hadn’t even occurred to Kuroo to check there.

“Sorry girl. My brain is obviously still functioning at a minimal level. Thanks.”

Kuroo took the leash from the overjoyed Dalmatian and hooked it up to her collar. As soon as he opened the door Kuroo was drug outside with barely enough time to close the door behind them. It was obvious that Misty was ready to go, expecting the nice quick pace her and Bokuto usually had going, but Kuroo didn’t have the energy for that. Instead he made them walk, all the while being drug around by his dog. Misty had certainly gotten a lot stronger since the last time he remembered walking her. Although, the last time he actually _walked_ her was over half a year ago and she was a lot more used to his pace back then. Misty drug her owner to the park along the same route she usually ran with Bokuto. Kuroo swore that if he let her off the leash, she would be able to complete her usual route all on her own without any help from him.

It was getting colder outside, and winter was approaching fast. Kuroo could see his breath in the air and it certainly wasn’t a comfort. Winter meant more days inside spending time with family and friends. Long hours spent talking with your best friend over a hot mug of cocoa. But his family was currently a mess, and his best friend was gone. That would take some getting use to. His best friend was gone. No more endlessly teasing each other, no more stupid jokes, or hilarious remarks. There would be no more contagious bright smiles that could light up his entire being. There would be no more boisterous laughter filling his ears. There would be no more long stories told with dramatic hand gestures. There would be no more Bokuto, and that was just far too depressing to think about.

Kuroo cut their walk short and just barely managed to drag a disappointed Misty back home. So, walking his dog and getting some fresh air hadn’t been the calming experience he was hoping for. It just reminded him of Bokuto and made him more upset. Kuroo lazily kicked off his shoes, hung up his coat, and threw Misty’s leash to the side before making his way to his room. Akaashi’s door was still closed, so the ebony haired man was probably still curled up in bed, and now Kuroo was about to do the same.

The house was still quiet. Way too quiet, and it made him feel like yelling and screaming his head off just to fill the silence. It was agonizing not to come home and hear Bokuto’s loud booming voice echoing throughout the house. It was even worse when he remembered that this was going to be a permanent thing. A silent house wasn’t something Kuroo was sure he could live with. After faceplanting onto his bed, Kuroo scrunched his pillow and pushed his face as hard as he could into the material. He couldn’t hold it in any longer and he began to scream at the top of his lungs. The pillow was only able to muffle so much, and his voice rang out, juxtaposed with the eerie hush that had become the house.

Akaashi could hear the screaming coming from Kuroo’s bedroom, but he couldn’t be bothered to get out of bed. Nothing much had changed since last night. He still felt nothing: his mind was numb, his body ached, he had zero energy, and his motivation level was at an all time low. He couldn’t be bothered to get out of bed, he couldn’t be bothered to shower, he couldn’t be bothered to change his clothes, he couldn’t be bothered to eat, he couldn’t even be bothered to sleep. Instead, he laid silently and unmoving, staring blankly at the wall.

Time passed by, and he wasn’t sure how long, but it must have been around five-ish because there came a knock at his door. It was Kuroo telling him he ordered delivery and that it had just arrived. Akaashi didn’t answer. Honestly, he barely even heard the words his roommate was saying. After there was no response Kuroo opened the door.

“Hey Kashi, foods here. You should come eat something, even if it’s only a little.” Kuroo said quietly.

“Akaashi.” Akaashi replied in the most even deadpan voice Kuroo had ever heard.

“Hunh?”

“My name. It’s Akaashi, not Kashi.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Kuroo hadn’t even noticed. It was just a habit he had picked up from Bokuto who almost never called Akaashi by his actual name, but instead strange versions of it. But the one he used the most was probably ‘Kashi’, and Kuroo had just unconsciously ended up doing the same because he heard it so often.

“Well, come eat.” Kuroo tried again after an awkward pause.

“I’m not hungry.”

“K-Akaashi, it will have been almost an entire day since you last ate. Maybe even longer… Yesterday you kinda threw up most of your lunch.”

“I’m just not hungry.”

“You need to eat to stay healthy!”

“I’ll eat when I get hungry.”

“And when will that be? When Bo comes home? When Bo cooks for you? Because Bokuto’s dead Akaashi and he’s not coming home!” Kuroo yelled.

“I’m aware.”

Kuroo stopped his angry outburst, completely shocked. He had been too harsh. That was definitely too harsh. He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. He was just so stressed and tired that he didn’t control his burning emotions properly. He hadn’t meant to yelled at Akaashi, much less yell that his lover was dead at him. He already knew Akaashi was aware Bokuto was dead, they all were. Kuroo's outburst had been completely uncalled for, but Akaashi hadn’t really responded much to his words despite the fact that he had just angrily yelled that Bokuto was never coming back. Maybe Akaashi hadn't really paid attention to his words? Or at least that is what he hoped. Afraid he would make the situation worse Kuroo left to eat dinner at the table alone. Before beginning to eat he realized his little outburst earlier could have really done some harm if Akaashi had been fully awake and listening. He needed to get his anger under control. Push it down, bury it deep, and not let it show. He needed to be strong, not just for himself but for Akaashi and the others too. Someone had to hold it together and he would hate to leave that responsibility to someone else, so he had to be the one to do it. He had to fill Bokuto’s absence: he had to protect everyone and make everything all better. Since Bokuto was gone, that responsibility now fell to him. 

* * *

When Hinata and Terushima returned home they were both quiet and subdued, which was very unusual for the pair. When Natsu ran to greet them at the entrance like she always did, she got a less than enthusiastic response. She asked them what was wrong and Terushima simply told her they had a really bad day yesterday. The boys made their way upstairs to Hinata’s room and slept pretty much the whole day away.

When Monday came around, they were supposed to go back to school but Hinata told his mom he was sick and stayed home. Terushima stayed with him to watch over his friend. That night he received many worried texts from Yamaguchi asking if they were both okay. Terushima couldn’t be bothered to reply. When Tuesday came around neither one of them felt any better. Exams were coming up, but neither of them could be bothered to go to school or even study. When Wednesday came around Hinata still looked so depressed that Terushima thought maybe they should call Akaashi. Akaashi was the next best person at cheering up Hinata whenever the boy was upset. The orange-haired boy at least showed some interest in the offer, so Terushima decided to do it. There was no answer. When this made Hinata even more sad and depressed Terushima tried Kuroo.

Come on, come on, please pick up your phone. When Kuroo’s voice responded on the other end of the line, both boys visibly perked up. They talked for a couple hours over the phone. Mostly just about mundane things, keeping the subject light and happy, until Hinata asked about Akaashi and Kuroo mentioned Akaashi was still pretty sad. This of course made Hinata sad, and he ended up balling way more than necessary, which in turn caused Terushima to start crying, until Kuroo was left trying his best to comfort the two young boys over the phone the best he could. 

When Thursday came around Hinata called in sick again, but Terushima forced himself to go to school. They were all sad, but Terushima felt that moping around all day wouldn’t solve anything. He needed something to distract himself with even if only a little bit. The set routine proved to help a little bit because it didn’t allow him to wallow in self-pity all day. He had to focus on other people while they talked or schoolwork. This proved to be rather difficult, but he was still thankful for the distraction. He had moments when he felt overly emotional and sad, and he allowed himself to feel that way, but he was trying not to stay stuck there too long. Being at school around Yamaguchi all day also improved his mood and attitude, even if only slightly. The freckled boy had a warm friendly aura that made Terushima feel at ease, and it allowed him to forget his problems for a couple minutes at a time.

Finally, by the end of the week Hinata’s mother had to intervene. She had no idea why both boys were acting so strangely, especially her son who would normally be bouncing off the walls but now he wouldn’t even leave his room or speak to anyone. The orange-haired boy had completely shut himself off from the world hoping it would ease his pain, but it didn’t.

“Yuuji. May I ask what is wrong with you and Shouyou lately? You both seem so upset, and I’m not sure what to do. Exams are coming up soon and Shouyou won’t leave his room.” Hinata’s mother said in her sweet soft voice.

“I’m very sorry Hinata-san. Sho and I lost a dear friend last week. Well, actually he was more like family to us.” Terushima said as tears started to fall from his eyes.

Hinata’s mother took the boy in her arms and held him tight. “I’m so sorry for your loss.” After calming the boy in her arms, she spoke up again. “Yuuji, would you mind helping me talk to Shouyou. I know this can be very hard, but he can’t abandon his whole life.”

“Of course.” Terushima said with a soft smile, a couple tears still trickling down the crease in his lips.

“Shouyou.” Hinata’s mother called. “Yuuji and I need to talk to you. Mind if we come in?”

“Sure.” Hinata responded quietly, voice muffled by his pillow.

The first thing Hinata’s mom did was sit on the edge of her son’s bed and open her arms inviting the boy to give her a hug. Hinata immediately collapsed into his mother’s arms and began sobbing. She gently stroked her son’s fluffy orange hair and muttered sweet reassurances until the boy calmed down enough to hear her out. Terushima watched the scene in awe, he wished he had a family like this one. Then again, he did have a family like this. They weren’t blood related, but neither were Shouyou and his mother, and Terushima had come to learn that blood relations didn’t determine who your family is, you do. His friends would always be more of a family to him than his father ever would be. That was one of the many lessons Bokuto taught him and Hinata; even though Bokuto might be gone, his family still remained as did the love they all shared with him and each other.

“Shouyou dear. I know you might be sad right now, and that’s okay. But sweety, I’m worried. You have hardly left your room. You don’t talk to anyone besides Yuuji, and you eat a lot less than a growing boy should.”

“I’m sorry mom. I am just so sad, and I don’t know what to do about it. I miss him so much, and I don’t feel like doing anything, it’s like all my energy has been drained away.”

“Sweety, there is nothing wrong with being sad, in fact it is a very normal reaction to losing someone you loved. You know when your aunt died, I was very sad. You were so young and Natsu wasn’t even born yet so you probably don’t remember, but she was my sister, and she was very dear to me. When she passed, I also felt kind of like how you feel now. I was always sad, and I had no motivation.”

“What did you do about it?”

“Well at first, I was a lot like you, stayed locked away, didn’t do much, didn’t talk much, didn’t eat much. As time went by, I got worse and worse the longer I stayed there. Your dad was the one to remind me that I couldn’t just throw my life away and waste away in my room. I still had you to look after. I still had people who needed me, people who depended on me, but I also had people who supported and helped me. I still had so much to live for and wouldn’t it be a waste to sit around doing nothing for the rest of my life. I got back up, which was hard at first. I told myself that she wouldn’t want me to stay sad, so I tried to be happy. Now I’m not saying force yourself because you will have days when you’re more upset than others, or something that reminds you of the person you lost, but you do still have to put effort into living again and you will find happiness. It won’t be the same happiness and it won't be right away, but you can still be happy. I even started visiting children at the hospital with the same disease she died from because I found purpose in helping others. Of course, that was just my experience. Everyone grieves differently, and in their own way, but I would like you to start thinking a little bit more about the things you still have to live for. Maybe try a couple different things until you find something that works for you.”

“Mom, I think you’re right. I want to be like you. I want to make a difference too. Bokuto-san actually died saving my life... I think I kind of blamed myself for it, but I don’t want to waste what he tried so hard to protect. He was all about equality for everyone, helping everyone whether you were a human, a werewolf, or an animal. I want to protect people like Bokuto-san did.” Hinata declared confidently through his red puffy eyes.

“That’s a great idea Sho.” Terushima said with newfound confidence.

“I don’t know exactly how yet, but in the future, I want to help werewolves who are in need. And to do that, I probably have to go to school.” Hinata sighed.

“Just take it one day at a time sweetheart, and if you ever need to talk, I’m here. That goes for both of you. I want you boys to know that I will be here for you if you need it. Also, if you need more time off school, I am willing to call the school and explain the situation. I don’t want you boys pushing yourselves too hard.” Hinata’s mom wrapped them up in a tight comforting hug.

“Thanks mom, but I think staying locked away in my room for two weeks was long enough. If I don’t take the first steps now, I will probably keep putting it off.”

“Alright dear, if that’s what you want. I love you, and I will be here to support you in anyway you need it, even if that only means giving you space, listening when you need to let it out, or whatever else you may need.”

“Thanks mom! You’re the best!” Hinata threw himself into another hug with his mother.

From the corner of her eye Hinata’s mother caught Terushima glancing awkwardly around the room as if he was intruding on a moment. She smiled warmly when she caught his wandering gaze and beckoned him over to join them. Terushima felt his heart flutter slightly in his chest. He really did have an amazing family. Without anymore hesitation he joined the hug. He couldn’t help but feel more reassured now; being reminded that he still had people who cared for him gave him hope.

The next day Hinata and Terushima returned to school together. Yamaguchi was thrilled that they were both feeling better, except that they weren’t. Hinata’s mother hadn’t lied when she said it would be hard at first. Both boys had to constantly keep refocusing their minds. Sometimes Yamaguchi would say something nice and cheer them up. For those few seconds they would forget about being sad, and then reality would hit them again. A reality without Bokuto. As hard as it was, both boys kept pushing through, taking it one day at a time. Hinata started eating more again, and sometimes he and Terushima would help out with the chores just to give them something to do. Some days, nothing could cheer them up, and other days almost felt normal; at least as normal as they could be given the situation.

* * *

Kyoutani was a lot more on edge than usual; he was always angry and exploded at everyone over every little thing. He had always looked angry appearance wise, but this was different. Since Bokuto died Kyoutani had been mad, not at anyone in particular, but more like at everyone including himself. He would get angry with himself when he couldn’t complete a task at work, he would yell at his co-workers when they messed up, and he would explode if anybody called him out on anything. Of course, this behaviour got him fired and made him even more angry. Now that he was jobless and had so much pent up emotions, he went out everyday to train in the forest by himself. He would train, and train, and train, and train some more. He pushed his body to its limits until he was exhausted. It seemed to be the only way he could get out even a fraction of his anger.

With Yaku and Bokuto both gone Hanamaki and Matsukawa had a lot on their plates. Kunimi and Kindaichi were still in recovery and needed to be watched carefully. But they were most worried about Kyoutani who had lost his job and now disappeared for hours on end coming home completely worn out, sweaty, and sometimes even bruised. They weren’t sure how much longer his body could hold out.

One day when Kyoutani disappeared off to wherever he went the two trailed him. When they found him doing some training in the forest, they were relieved. It wasn’t as bad as they had originally thought. They thought that Kyoutani had been getting himself into fights with anyone and everyone he came across due to all the bruises he came home with. He was still pushing himself too hard, but it wasn’t the worst way of coping either. They could work with this. Hanamaki appeared from behind a tree followed by Matsukawa.

“Were you following me?” Kyoutani growled when he saw the other wolves.

“Yep. We needed to make sure you were alright.” Hanamaki responded.

“I’m fine!” Kyoutani snapped.

“No, you’re not. You are angry all the time, you lost your job, and you are running your body into the ground.” Matsukawa stated.

“So, what if I am?” Kyoutani retorted.

“Come on man. I mean I definitely respect your way of coping, but sooner or later your body is going to give out. You even lost your job because of your behaviour, so don’t give me that bullshit.” Hanamaki chided.

“Fine, then what do you want me to do about it?” Kyoutani sneered.

“First off stop giving us that attitude. We are only trying to help, and you aren’t the only one devastated because of this mess. We lost them both too.” Matsukawa said.

“Sorry.” Kyoutani grumbled realizing his mistake.

“I may have an idea if you are willing to try it. You don’t have to, if you don’t want to, but it might help.” Hanamaki offered.

“I guess giving it a try wouldn’t kill me. I’m honestly getting pretty fed up with feeling angry all the time.”

“Okay! I want you to let it all out, right here and now. Scream everything you’ve been thinking, and then get absolutely bat shit crazy until you have nothing left.” Hanamaki said.

“I thought you just told me not to give you attitude, now you’re telling me to yell at you?”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just do it.” Hanamaki ordered.

At first Kyoutani’s words didn’t make much sense as he awkwardly stumbled over what he wanted to say. But the more he did it the louder his voice got and the more the words seemed to flow seamlessly. Kyoutani was now screaming at the top of his lungs all the fears and frustrations he had been holding inside. They all seemed to come pooling to the surface and he released them all at once. The last thing he screamed before going silent was about the family falling apart without Bokuto around. Now the pieces all fell into place and were starting to make sense. Kyoutani was scared and covering his fear with anger.

“Hey Kyou, your family will be fine.” Hanamaki reassured him.

“How do you know?”

“Because everyone may have come together because of Bokuto, but they stayed together because of the love and care you have for each other. Not because of a single person.” Matsukawa said.

“You guys might experience some rough patches over the next little while, but you will all be there to support each other, and that will bring you all closer together and strengthen your bonds. No one can get through this alone, so you don’t have to. And if you’re really that worried about the family falling apart, then you will just have to become the glue that holds everyone together.” Hanamaki added in.

“You’re also getting some new family members. Maki and I have talked it over with the other two and we would like to join Bokuto’s Family. How would like to officially welcome us to the others?”

“You know, You two idiots are strangely wise.” Kyoutani growled half heartedly.

“You know you love us!” Hanamaki squealed.

“Yeah whatever.” Kyoutani grunted.

Of course, the problem wasn’t completely fixed, but that little screaming fit had allowed some pent-up anger to be released. It also allowed Kyoutani to realize what he had been hiding from. Anger was his go to emotion to cover everything up, and despite knowing that, he never knew how to figure out what was really bothering him. No matter how much he hated accepting help from others, in that moment he was grateful for his friends’ support.

They all still had giant gaping holes in their hearts, that used to be filled by their loved ones’ presences, but Kyoutani was starting to become a lot less aggressive towards everyone. Once they had gotten down to the core of the reason for his angry outbursts all that was left was fear and doubt. What would happen if the one place he truly felt he belonged collapsed? Those types of ideas still haunted Kyoutani, but it was a start. He was getting new members to the family which would help change things up, he hoped for the better. He was made aware that he wasn’t alone. But probably the biggest realization to come out of his little exchange with Hanamaki and Matsukawa, was that if he didn’t like what was happening, he could do something about it. He might not be able to bring Bokuto back, or fill his place within the family, but he didn’t really want that kind of responsibility anyways. Nobody could or should fill Bokuto’s place because each of them had their own special qualities to bring to the family. He could, however, put in the effort to get closer to the other members of the family, he could put in the effort to bring them closer together, he could put in the effort to become the glue that held everyone together. Not that he would be glue material any time soon, but still, he could at least try and put forth his best effort. Something about that was oddly comforting in its own way.

* * *

When Suga returned home the next day he was met with an awkward atmosphere. Daichi didn’t welcome him home like usual or hound him with questions about where he’d been. Part of that was probably due to the fact that he knew where Suga had stayed and the other part was probably just because he didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t like Suga knew what to say either. He was really mad at his husband, but more than that he was disappointed that his husband didn’t trust him enough to listen. The silver-haired man had always seen his relationship with Daichi as a good one. They didn’t argue much, they took good care of their son, and they spent lots of time hanging out together. They didn’t hide anything from the other and they were really sweet with each other, but the past year had made Suga revaluate his marriage. The results were more uncertain than they had been in the past.

The past year had revealed a lot of new things about their relationship. Suga had felt the need to hide things from his husband because he was afraid Daichi would reject his thoughts and feelings; sadly, that was exactly what happened. He and Daichi had many arguments lately and none of their problems were getting solved because Daichi refused to even listen or hear Suga out. He wasn’t even trying to understand Suga’s feelings and that was something that Suga deemed to be important in a relationship. Suga shouldn’t have to hide how he feels from the person he loves and claims to love him back, he shouldn’t have to feel rejected by his husband who was supposed to hold him for better or for worse, and he should have Daichi’s trust by now because he had already worked very hard to be worthy of that.

The week following Bokuto’s death was slow and tiring for the silver-haired man. His son was avoiding both him and Daichi; he spent most of his time locked away in his room ‘studying’, and when it wasn’t his room he was at school. Then of course there was Daichi who wouldn’t even look at or talk to the silver-haired man. Suga was beginning to feel like a stranger in his own house with his own family, and he needed to do something about it before it was too late. Suga convinced Tobio and Daichi to sit at the dining room table so they could talk.

“Sorry for taking up your time, but I think we need a family meeting.”

“Oh, what suddenly we are your family now.” Daichi retorted.

“Daichi, you and Tobio are a big part of my family, and no matter how much it grows their will always be room for the both of you, if you want it. But we need to work through our problems.” Suga said softly.

“Koushi if we were important to you then you wouldn’t be running off with others claiming they were your family.”

“Is that really what you think?” Suga looked between his son and husband.

“Well I was feeling a little bit like you forgot about me or didn’t care for me anymore.” Tobio answered quietly.

“Awe honey. My sweet Tobio of course I still care for you, I’ll always love you. I was just having a little bit of a hard time. I know that is no excuse for making you feel like you are unloved, so I’m sorry for that.” Suga apologized to his son.

“That’s alright dad. I’m sorry too for not noticing how much you were struggling.”

“My sweet boy, you don’t have to worry about me. It’s a parent’s job to worry about their kids not the other way around, but I appreciate the thought. I’m sorry your father and I have been pretty shitty parents lately.”

Suga looked to Daichi hoping for some sort of reaction or further explanation for why he was still avoiding him.

“I don’t believe you.” Daichi said accusingly.

The words cut Suga deeply: he and Daichi had been together since high school, and he had worked hard to be someone Daichi could be proud of. He thought he had become someone worthy of his husband’s love and trust but knowing that Daichi didn’t feel the same hurt badly.

“Daichi, why don’t you trust me? Did all of those years together mean nothing to you?” Suga asked sadly.

“Why would I believe you? You have been hiding things from me for the past year! Were you also some how involved in that damn wolf getting free in the first place?!” Daichi yelled.

“I know and I shouldn’t have hid things from you, but Daichi you are also to blame too. I am not the only one in this relationship.”

“How do you figure that?!”

“Daichi I hid everything from you because I was afraid you would react exactly the way the are reacting right now. Daichi I feel like you are completely ignoring everything I am telling you I think and feel. I don’t understand why you can’t even try to understand me. Isn’t that what partners are supposed to do for each other?”

“I don’t need to try and understand because you are wrong! Why would I waste my time trying to understand something that is wrong!”

“Daichi please… you don’t really mean that.” Suga pleaded as tears trickled down his reddened eyes.

“Yes Koushi, I really do.”

“HA! How stupid can I be!? Of course, you don’t care about me! You probably never did. Even if you never fully understood, I would have given you the benefit of the doubt if you had simply tried. You do realize that you killed someone very important to me and haven’t even apologized once! I don’t think I can do this anymore Daichi…. A year ago I would have dropped everything I felt to make you happy, but that friend of mine that you shot, he and his family taught me that I am worth more than that, and I know I deserve better. I’m leaving and don’t expect me to come back. I am happy to see Tobio whenever he wants and I can keep my personal feeling aside when it comes to him, but I don’t want to be with you anymore Daichi.” Suga sobbed.

“Do whatever you want! I know you’ll come back to me eventually. You’ve always clung to me ever since high school. You won’t last long on your own.”

“You might be right, but I’m not alone.” Suga said turning away to leave.

“Dad wait!” Tobio yelled shooting an icy glare at his father. “I want to go with you. I understand now, and as long as you still love me, I want to go with you. I don’t want to keep hunting anymore! I want to become Hinata’s friend again!”

“Of course, I still love you. I will always love you, and I’m sorry we haven’t exactly been the best parents. I’m happy to take you with me if that is truly what you want.”

“It is. I’m done being a hunter, and I’m done being someone who Hinata can’t even look at. I really miss him, and if there is even the slightest chance that he will forgive me someday, I want to try. I want to try and be a better person because if what you say about werewolves is true, which I am starting to believe it is… then I have been killing innocent lives, and I don’t want to do that anymore. I want to be a good person!”

“My sweet boy, you are a good person. It’s our fault as parents because we guided you down the wrong path preaching that it was right. You didn’t know any better, but now that you do, I am incredibly proud of you for doing what you think is right. As for Hinata it may take some time and patience, but I believe in you.”

Tobio ran to his dad and wrapped him in a hug, while Daichi stormed off.

* * *

Iwaizumi took a couple days off work to spend them with Oikawa. The two of them lazed around the house, snuggled up together watching TV. Both of them felt gloomy after the events that unfolded. Their quiet gloomy days couldn’t last long though because Iwaizumi had just started his new job and couldn’t afford to take too much time off. They also still had an apartment to pay for, as well as groceries and other living expenses.

After returning to work Iwaizumi found himself becoming more and more irritable. Whenever he was sad, he had the habit of becoming easily irritated by the smallest things. He had years of practicing to keep it under control after his parents died, but whenever he became particularly upset, his irritability would rear its ugly head. His co-workers noticed how easily aggravated he could get and decided it would be best to keep their distance. Iwaizumi never snapped or unfairly directed his irritation at his co-workers, but it was still noticeable enough for them to feel uncomfortable around him. This wasn’t an ideal situation seeing as Iwaizumi had just recently started working there and hadn’t had much time to get to know the people he worked with. And now that he was agitated and grumpy no one wanted anything to do with him. He couldn’t blame his co-workers: he wouldn’t want to be around him when he got like that either, but nevertheless it still further irritated him. Not only was he struggling with personal problems, but now he was also struggling at work.

Without Iwaizumi around to ground him, Oikawa threw himself headfirst into his studies. Medical school was a challenge and very competitive. It was hard to get accepted, and once you were accepted it was hard to keep on top of things. This was the excuse Oikawa used for his obsessive studying. He had finished all of his exams and was currently waiting for the next semester to start up again; he should have been taking this opportunity as a rare break. It was hard to find time to relax when his schedule was packed full, so he should have taken every opportunity to relax that he was given. But he couldn’t bring himself to sit and relax alone in the apartment: it brought back too many bad memories of that night. Quiet time alone was definitely worse than working himself to death.

One night after work Iwaizumi returned home to find his boyfriend hunched over the little table in their living room area of the apartment. Oikawa was wearing his glasses, he had large, dark bags under his eyes, and he seemed to be squinting at one of his heavy textbooks. Iwaizumi entered the apartment, and his boyfriend didn’t even notice. Oikawa let out a low sigh and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. He was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, but he knew sleep wouldn’t fix the problem, and it would allow him too much time to think. He was much more content to kill himself over his endless hours of study.

“Hey.” Iwaizumi called softly.

“Ahh! Hajime, you startled me.” Oikawa complained after nearly jumping out of his skin.

“How long have you been working on that?”

“Since you left this morning.”

“How many breaks have you taken?”

“Ummm… one, if you count me going to the fridge and grabbing an apple.” Oikawa laughed awkwardly.

“Tooru… you need to eat more than an apple for lunch.”

“I know.”

“I was letting it slide because I knew you needed a distraction, but this has gone too far. You are working yourself into the ground, and your mind and body are exhausted.”

“Well you aren’t much better Haji. You are starting to revert to how you were after your parents died. Don’t think, I haven’t noticed how irritated you have been lately.”

“That’s fair.”

“Then, what should we do about it?” Oikawa asked.

“Put your books away. I’ll make us some tea. I think it’s time we stop running from our problems and talk to each other like adults.”

“Okay.” Oikawa smiled softly.

Oikawa cleaned up his mess of textbooks and notes off the ground and table before taking a seat on their tiny couch. Iwaizumi appeared from the kitchen with two cups of steaming tea a couple minutes later. He sat down beside his boyfriend and handed him one of the cups. Oikawa accepted it gratefully. He blew on it before taking a small sip.

“So, who is going to start?” Iwaizumi asked admiring his boyfriend as he sipped at his tea.

“I would say you because it was your idea, but I know you will need some time to think over what you want to say, so I guess I’ll start.” Oikawa offered reluctantly.

“Thank you.”

Iwaizumi couldn’t be more grateful for his boyfriend in that moment. They had an amazing relationship, even if sometimes he called his boyfriend stupid, dumb, or shitty, he really truly loved him. Oikawa knew him so well, and could be so considerate of his needs, and Iwaizumi could do the same for him. He should probably stop referring to his boyfriend in insulting ways, even though they both knew he didn’t mean it. These past few days had taught him to cherish the ones you love, and his stupid nicknames for his boyfriend weren’t necessary. He would definitely stop doing that. Oikawa deserved to know how much he meant to Iwaizumi. They were lucky to have each other, and it was very apparent in hard times like they had been experiencing recently.

“You were right when you said I needed a distraction. That’s all it was at first, but it was all too easy to become overly obsessive and consumed by my studies. I will be the first to admit that I was running from my feelings. Haji… I am so sad right now. I am so sad, and I don’t know how to fix it.” Oikawa started.

“Sadness isn’t something that needs to be fixed. I think we need to stop thinking about this situation as something that needs to be fixed. It just is what it is, and we have to learn to cope.” Iwaizumi reminded his boyfriend.

“It just doesn’t feel real. It feels like I’m dreaming and when I wake up, I’ll be able to laugh it off as some stupid nightmare of my mind’s creation. Kou-chan will still be alive. But when I wake up every morning, I’m reminded that this is reality, and he is gone.”

“Yeah, he is.”

“Hajime, how do you get over something like this? How did you deal with your parents dying? I’m not sure that I can do this.”

“I don’t think there is any getting over it. I still miss my parents, some days more than others, but I always remind myself that I still have you. Your parents were kind enough to take me in and look after me when I had no where to go. My best friend was there for me every step of the way even when I was at my worst, and I learned some coping skills from a professional. I had to find what worked best for me to continue my life. I am sad too, but I can say that it does get easier. As time goes by it won’t be as hard to live with. We just have to make the most of our new reality, and don’t get me wrong it is going to be hard.”

“What if I don’t want it to get easier? I don’t want to ever forget him. I hate the thought of one day not remembering at all.”

“I didn’t mean it would get easier because you start forgetting him. I meant that as time passes and you surround yourself with more people, with more love, and more happiness, it gets easier to look back on your memories with him fondly. You don’t ever have to forget him; in fact, I don’t think you should. He was an amazing person, an amazing friend, and an amazing part of our growing family. I know I won’t ever regret meeting him, do you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then let’s take the first steps to remembering him fondly. It won’t do anyone any good if we lose it. We still have a family that loves and supports us. We still have each other to lean on when things get hard. We didn’t lose everything, and with time we will begin to understand that.”

“You’re right, we certainly didn’t lose everything. I think we may have some others who need to be reminded of that was well, so let’s take the first steps together.”

“Okay. Does that mean no more killing yourself with your studies?”

“Yeah. And you… you have to promise me that instead of getting more and more irritated and letting it all build up inside, you will talk to me. I’m here for you after all, just like I’ve always been.”

“Yeah. Thank you.”

“Good! As for Tetsu-chan and Aka-chan… Haji I think I might have messed up with Aka-chan last time.”

“How, so?” Iwaizumi asked.

“I was so worried about him because he was probably the closest to Kou-chan… I think I may have been pushing my own feelings onto him. I mean I practically told him that his way of dealing with things was wrong, but I have no right to tell him that. It was just hard seeing him look so dead inside… it really scared me Haji! I think I was thinking that I had to intervene and fix him. I can’t believe I did that. I am just so afraid of losing him too. Haji... you should have seen how empty his eyes were when he looked at me. It was like he was staring right through me, and I panicked and got too pushy. It was like I was trying to control how he felt… I mean who the fuck do I think I am? I had no right.”

“I am not saying what you said was right, but you could probably cut yourself a little slack. Nobody was in a good frame of mind that night. We were all emotionally and physically exhausted. Mistakes are bound to happen. I think maybe you should apologize and offer him a listening ear. Sometimes rather than trying to get too involved in someone’s feelings it is best to let them work it out on their own. The best you can do is let him know you are there to support him.”

“Did your counsellor teach you that?”

“Yes, actually she did. I found it to be some pretty useful advice.”

“Okay. I definitely need to apologize to Aka-chan! When can we go see them?”

“Woah! Hold up a minute. I think they probably still need some space. We can’t just show up and bombard them with everything, it would be pretty overwhelming. It has already been a week; I say we give them another week.”

“Shit! I did it again! I suck at this whole sitting back and waiting thing. I just really want to help….” Oikawa whined.

“I know, but sometimes the best help you can give them is space and time. Sometimes that is better help than anything else you could offer them.”

Oikawa cuddled up next to his boyfriend as they both sipped their tea in silence. His talk with Iwaizumi had been very reassuring and comforting. The thing that probably stood out the most was when his boyfriend mentioned that they hadn’t lost everything. He was right: they still had so much to live for. They still had family, they still had each other, they still had love, they still had support, they still had their job and school. Right now, those things seemed less significant because of the huge loss they had experienced, but it was important to never lose sight of the things they still had. Also remembering Bokuto fondly sounded like a nice idea. The thought of being able to remember his pure heart and everything that was Bokuto with fondness seemed like the best way to honour him. They were still far off from that point, but the day they could look back on their time spent with the loud boisterous werewolf and experience true feelings of happiness would certainly be a good day.

* * *

After the first day without Bokuto the next few all felt meaningless for Kuroo. He had steeled himself to push his anger down and be strong, but it had been harder than he originally thought. The following days were full of random angry outbursts for the black-haired man, and he couldn’t seem to control them at all. Every time he wasn’t able to do something it frustrated him; every time he felt less than competent to fill Bokuto’s shoes, he got angrier. He was having trouble holding it together like he promised himself he would. He was too weak to carry such responsibility, and his shortcomings only fueled his anger more.

One time after not being able to find the coffee filters for the coffee machine Kuroo broke out into an angry fit. It was such a stupid thing to be angry about, but everything seemed to set him off lately. He screamed and yelled at himself for being so stupid. He punched his hand hard against the kitchen counter causing his knuckles to bleed. After letting out an angry huff Kuroo made his way to the bathroom and messily wrapped up his injured knuckles. It didn’t take long for him to bleed through the bandage he had wrapped around his hand, but he couldn’t be bothered to change or fix it. He plopped himself down on the couch with an angry grumble. Without thinking he reached out to stroke Apple Pie who had been rudely woken by Kuroo’s dramatic antics. The cat didn’t take too kindly to Kuroo’s lack of respect and lashed out at the man. Kuroo pulled his hand back utterly surprised by Apple Pie’s actions. No matter how much the cat hated someone, he usually just ran away. Apple Pie fluffed up his fur and hissed harshly at his owner.

“Sorry Pie, that was rude of me.” Kuroo apologized.

He reached out a second time to pet the cat, but more cautiously this time. The cat backed away and hissed again.

“Come on Pie, I know I’m not Bo, but…” Kuroo trailed off.

Apple Pie had also been moody lately just like him. At first, he chalked it up to him being his usual self, but maybe it wasn’t. Apple Pie was a lot more like his owner than Kuroo had ever realized. The cat acted out when he became stressed or upset and was very picky about the people he liked being around. Kuroo hadn’t really noticed, but his behaviour for the past few days had an effect on the atmosphere in the house and that included the animals too. Misty had seemed rather depressed lately and didn’t leave Kuroo’s room very often. It could be because she wasn’t getting the usual attention that Bokuto always gave her, or maybe part of it was because of Kuroo. One thing he had come to learn as a vet tech student was that his moods and attitudes had an effect on the animals he worked with. At that moment Kuroo came to realize how much stress he had been putting on his pets just because he was acting out all the time. No wonder Apple Pie had told him off. He had probably said something along the lines of ‘Fuck you’ when Kuroo had been inconsiderate and tried to pet the cat while he was in a bad mood and had just screamed and yelled and violently punched the counter. He realized that if he had been in the cat’s position, he would probably do the same thing.

That’s when he realized for the second time, he needed to control his anger. He had tried and failed after his angry outburst at Akaashi. This time, he would make sure he was successful even if it meant pushing his feelings down to the deepest part of himself where he could never find them. His behaviour was causing stress to his poor pets and probably to his roommate too now that he thought about. It was possible that Akaashi didn’t leave his room because he didn’t want anything to do with Kuroo while he was acting like a spoiled brat. He needed to get his shit together! He was going to get his shit together! He needed to be the one to support everyone, especially Akaashi who still hadn’t eaten anything in the past three days. He needed to do something about himself and he needed to do it soon, so that he could be there for Akaashi. Once again, he took on all of the responsibility by himself, and put the pressure on to be perfect and be strong.

After that he pushed himself to wake up unreasonably early and make breakfast. He made simple things like eggs and bacon, toast, rice, cut up vegetables, anything that was doable with his amateur skills. He always offered some breakfast to Akaashi, who always refused. Kuroo always tried a couple times, but always ended up on the losing end of things. Akaashi was stubborn and in situations like this one, it was a really bad thing. No matter what Kuroo said or did, he couldn’t make Akaashi eat. After forcing himself to make breakfast he took a depressed Misty on nice long walks every morning. Every time the walk reminded him of his last run with Bokuto, Kuroo pushed it aside to concentrate on where he was going. He started doing the chores again, he cleaned the few dishes he made by himself, he cleaned the house, he cleaned his room, he did the laundry composed of only his clothes. He had finally forced his anger down and was able to function relatively normally.

One day he received a call from Terushima and Hinata, who were wondering about Akaashi. Not wanting to worry them, he just said Akaashi needed some more time before he was ready to speak with the others. He assured them he would take care of him, and that he was willing to help them in anyway possible. When he happened to mention that Akaashi was still a little sad, Hinata had burst out into sobs, causing Terushima to also cry.

“Hey boys calm down. It will be alright.” Kuroo attempted to comfort the others.

“How do you know that?!” Hinata sobbed.

“Because I will make sure of it. I promise I will take good care of Akaashi.”

“Promise?” Hinata managed through some sniffling.

“Yes. And that goes for both of you too. If you ever need to talk please just call me. I would be happy to help.”

“Thanks, Kuroo-san.” Terushima said once his tears had stopped.

“No problem! I’m always here to help. Do you think you two will be alright now?” Kuroo asked.

“Yeah. What about you Kuroo?” Hinata asked.

“I’m fine. Thanks for the concern, but you don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine.”

“Okay. Bye Kuroo.” Hinata said before hanging up the phone.

Kuroo had just completely lied to those kids, but more than that he had lied to himself. He was trying so desperately to be everyone’s support that he wasn’t taking his own feelings into consideration. Just like he promised himself he would do; he pushed his feelings down and ignored them. His heart felt like it was being torn to pieces on the inside, but none of that mattered more than being there for Bokuto’s family. The family was the most important thing to him, and he was willing to suffer through it all if it meant he could help them even just a little. 

The next day Kuroo received another call, but this time it was from Akaashi’s parents. They were worried about their son, who wasn’t answering their phone calls at all. Kuroo assured them Akaashi was alright, although he hadn’t eaten much and almost never came out of his room except to go to the bathroom or get a glass of water, but even that was minimal. They ended up telling Kuroo something that he hadn’t known about his friend: apparently, when Akaashi was younger he had long depressive episodes where he wouldn’t eat or leave his room. They told him that they had gotten him on some medication that helped, but they were worried Bokuto’s death might trigger them again. They also mentioned that they wanted to bring Akaashi home where they could keep an eye on him. Kuroo’s heart dropped into his chest when he heard that last part. He didn’t want to be left alone in this house, he couldn’t be alone in this house. He needed Akaashi there, he needed to take care of Akaashi for Bokuto’s sake as well as his own. He told Akaashi’s parents that he would watch their son closely and call them if he thought he needed to, but he told them that Akaashi probably wouldn’t want to leave even if they told him to. They agreed knowing how stubborn Akaashi could be. Kuroo wasn’t exactly wrong; if their son didn’t want to leave then he wouldn’t, and it isn’t like them could make him. He was an adult after all.

* * *

After Akaashi learned of his lover’s death he locked himself away in his room for an entire week. He refused to see anyone, he refused to eat, and he refused to speak. The ebony-haired male couldn’t come to terms with how he felt at all. He knew that he was devastated, sad, and heartbroken, but he couldn’t express himself as such. He had returned to a more serious and dead version of himself from before he met Bokuto, but it was much worse. He honestly just felt numb. He wasn’t even experiencing nightmares of his incident anymore; he didn’t seem to have any dreams at all. He wished that everything would just disappear and fade away including his own existence. What was his life worth without Bokuto by his side to share it with? He still couldn’t bring himself to cry about Bokuto’s death because that would make it feel all too real and he was scared he might never stop crying once he started. He unconsciously bottled up everything he was feeling and sealed it in an airtight container with an added padlock and chain for good measure. The only thing left was numbness: cold, dark, and empty numbness.

Akaashi felt like his heart was hollow yet somehow weighed down with heavy stones. He wished so badly that he could snuggle into Bokuto’s soft, fluffy, snow-white fur, he wished he could nuzzle his face into the man’s scent gland causing him to release the scent of the sun, and he wished he could engulf himself in that beautiful smell. Akaashi desperately wanted to run his fingers through Bokuto’s two-toned hair, he wanted to look into those shimmering golden eyes that let him know everything would be alright, but what he wanted most of all was to feel his lovers touch on his skin. He wanted to feel the warmth of Bokuto’s body heat next to him, he wanted to feel the man’s rough calloused hands intertwined in his own, he wanted to feel Bokuto’s lips pressed against his own dry cracking ones, He wanted to feel Bokuto’s hair tickling his neck. Honestly, he wanted to feel anything at this point. He had gotten so good at concealing his emotions that he unconsciously bottled them up, and once they were gone, he didn’t know how to find them again. Feeling anything at all would be better than the nothingness he was left with.

Akaashi weakly stumbled out of bed and slinked his way to the bathroom. He passed Kuroo who was sitting on the couch watching TV. Both black-haired males had gotten special permission to put off their remaining exams to a later date because they wouldn’t be able to succeed in their current conditions. Akaashi assumed that Kuroo did it mainly so he could look after him. Kuroo called out to him and tried to get him to come sit with him, but Akaashi ignored him and went straight for the bathroom. The ebony-haired man locked the door behind him. He didn’t really have to use the toilet, but he had grown tired of laying in his bed. He stood staring at himself in the mirror; he looked at what Bokuto had once called beautiful and pretty. Akaashi wasn’t sure how Bokuto could say something about him like that. He was a mess and the mirror reflected that ever so clearly. Looking at his reflection now, all he saw was the living dead. His eyes looked a dim steely blue color and he had dark circles under them. Funny, Akaashi thought to himself. I can’t even see the true color of my own eyes anymore. I must be completely hopeless without Bokuto.

Akaashi tore his eyes away from the mirror and he looked down to the sink. Out of the corner of his eyes Akaashi caught sight of a sharp blade. A razor blade to be exact; one that Bokuto had bought to use for shaving since his other one was old. Bokuto hadn't gotten the chance to use it. Maybe, just maybe Akaashi could feel something again. Akaashi picked up the blade and ran the tap. He took the blade to his left arm gently. A small streak of red blood mixed with the running water in the sink. It didn’t hurt; Akaashi pressed a little harder the second time allowing the blood to run down his arm into the sink and down the drain. It still didn’t hurt. The third time Akaashi put even more force into the blade to slice deeply across the underside of his forearm causing him to wince. He bit his lip to hold back any sounds that might alert Kuroo to what he was doing. The red blood flowed from his cuts and mixed with the water in the sink. He could still feel pain if he put enough force into the blade; I guess he could still feel something. Akaashi let the cold water run down his arm until the blood had mostly stopped flowing. He grabbed some bandages from underneath the sink and wrapped up his arm and pulled his sleeve back down. He cleaned the sink and the blade before hiding it.

On his way back to his room Kuroo invited him to sit on the couch again. It was about time Akaashi stopped worrying his friend, he agreed and took his place on the opposite side of the couch from Kuroo. The taller man smiled sweetly at him. Yeah, he could endure a little bit of time with Kuroo if it stopped him from worrying even just a little bit. If Akaashi could feel anything besides pain right now, he would definitely feel guilty for having worried his friend for so long, but the guilt wasn’t there. Still just the same old emptiness. The pain hadn't brought back his hidden emotions, but it had let him feel something for a short while. He thought it couldn't hurt to pretend like he was alright, which was what led to him joining his roommate on the couch.

* * *

Oikawa and Iwaizumi were still pretty torn up about Bokuto’s death. They had gotten rather close to everyone in the past year, especially Bokuto, Kuroo, and Akaashi. Although they were just as upset as anyone else in the family, they had a pretty good support system in each other, and after their exchange over tea things had become slightly less scary because they knew they had each other. They knew it would take time before the pain lessened; it would probably never truly leave, but it would get easier. They were also far more concerned about the two who had been the closest to Bokuto. Akaashi had been acting really strange the last time they had seen him, and Oikawa really wanted to apologize for his behaviour the last time they were together. Then there was Kuroo who always thought he needed to hold it together for everyone else and put his own feelings on the back burner. There was no doubt Kuroo was diligently worrying about Akaashi, probably forcing himself to stay strong for the younger male, but the man always failed to take care of himself until someone reminded him that his feelings mattered too.

After giving the two their space for two weeks to see if they could work something out on their own, Oikawa and Iwaizumi paid a surprise visit to the two black-haired men. Kuroo was the one to answer the door and just like what they expected he looked exhausted. He had dark circles under his eyes, and they appeared redder and puffier than usual. His expression looked grim and the usually confident looking man seemed to be lacking any energy. Kuroo invited his guests inside. He had just finished breakfast and was getting ready to go wake up his roommate.

“Where’s Aka-chan?” Oikawa asked.

“Sleeping, I think.” Kuroo responded in a hoarse raspy voice as if it hadn’t been used in awhile.

“Geez when was the last time you used that thing?” Oikawa teased.

“Akaashi hasn’t really been in a chatty mood lately and honestly neither have I.”

“Fair enough. I’m going to wake Aka-chan!” Oikawa cheered before trotting away to the ebony-haired man’s room.

Iwaizumi and Kuroo were left alone in the living room. Iwaizumi motioned for Kuroo to sit down. They both took a seat on the couch, leaving a good distance between one another.

“How have you been?” Iwaizumi asked.

“Fine. I’m mostly just worried about Akaashi.”

That was the response he had expected but Iwaizumi was disappointed that Kuroo thought he might buy that bullshit for even a second. “No, you’re not, and I didn’t ask about Akaashi.”

“Shit. Okay, you’ve got me. I’m not okay, like not at all. I am so lost. I don’t even know how to help myself let alone help Akaashi. His parents have called a couple times and I told them we were both doing fine even though that is clearly a lie. They offered to let Akaashi stay with them at home for awhile and I considered it, but I can’t stay in this house alone. I just can’t.”

“Putting Akaashi aside for now. What do you need?” Iwaizumi asked.

“I need something to do, something to distract myself with. I need to not be cooped up in this house every minute of everyday. I need someone to tell me what I should be doing because I am just so lost Iwaizumi. I have no idea how to deal with this.”

“I thought as much.” Iwaizumi said. “For starters, if you need to get out of this house then do it! Go for a run through the park, enjoy the scenery, go back to school and focus on your classes. But don’t overwork yourself!”

“Then who would look after Akaashi?”

“I know you care about him and want to help him, but at this point in time that isn’t really a smart decision for either of you. You both need someone to lean on that has their shit together, and that isn’t you or him right now. This is just a suggestion, so feel free to tell me no, but I think you should take Akaashi’s parents up on their offer. You said so yourself, you are in no condition to take care of him, and you shouldn’t have to force yourself. Tooru and I can help you both out to the best of our abilities, but I think you both need something more than we can give you.”

“What do you mean?” Kuroo asked curiously.

“It is just a suggestion, but I think it might be a good idea if you both talked to a professional who knows how to help you through what you are experiencing.”

“You mean like a therapist?” Kuroo asked a little bewildered.

“There is no shame in getting help Kuroo. I did it after losing my parents and they really helped me cope with the things I was feeling in a non-destructive way. I know it isn’t the answer for everyone, and I won’t push you into anything. Just give it some thought. Of course, we are all here for you though.”

“Thanks Iwaizumi, I will think about it.”

“As for not being alone in the house, if Akaashi goes back to his parents place I have an offer. Suga left Daichi and he is currently staying in a hotel with his son. If it’s alright with you, they could stay here and keep you company. I think you could both use a friend right now.” Iwaizumi offered.

“His son too.”

“Yeah, but keep in mind he is still just a kid. He was raised to believe the things he did were right. I know that isn’t an excuse for any of their behaviour, or even mine in the past for that matter, but I honestly do believe he is a good kid who fell down the wrong path. I’m pretty sure he had a change of heart. Suga said Tobio decided to stay with him instead of Daichi because he wanted to quit hunting.”

“You know, Bo would forgive him in an instant if he apologized. I am not so sure that was always a good thing…but.... I may not be quite as forgiving, but I’m willing to give the boy a second chance.”

“That’s all anyone could ever ask of you. You aren’t Bokuto nor do you have to be. He was one of a kind, and I don’t think we’ll ever meet someone quite like him. He was who he was, and you are who you are, and there is no reason for you to change that.”

“Bo was certainly special; he was far too kind for this world. But I don’t think he would ever regret a single choice he made; therefore, I won’t regret them either. I’m glad Hinata’s still alive and that’s thanks to Bo. I’m glad you Oikawa and Suga are part of our family, and that is also thanks to Bo. Maybe, if he was born into a different, kinder world…”

“Then I guess, we will all just have to create that kind of world for the future!” Iwaizumi said with a rare smile.

Oikawa entered Akaashi’s dark room and a chill ran through his body. Damn it was cold in there without the sun shining through the window or the door open to allow the heater to circulate heat into it. Oikawa walked over to the window and drew back the curtains allowing light to shine into the room. Akaashi hissed in the bed as the light stung his eyes; he pulled the comforter over his face. Oikawa plopped himself onto Akaashi’s bed causing the whole bed to bounce. Oikawa pulled the comforter off the man laying in bed.

“It’s time to wake up Aka-chan.”

“Okay, okay, just shut the curtains.”

“Nope! Sunshine is good for you.”

Akaashi sat up in his bed rubbing his eyes until they adjusted to the light. “What are you doing here Oikawa-san?”

“Iwa-chan and I were worried about you and your roommate, so we paid you a visit.”

“Well you came all this way for nothing then because we are both fine.”

“Silly Aka-chan, you can’t fool me. I know you’re sad.” Oikawa’s voice got deep and serious for a moment. “I also needed to apologize.”

“What for?” Akaashi asked.

“Last time… I kinda said that you weren’t upset and pushed you because you weren’t crying. That was wrong of me, and I shouldn’t have pushed my feelings onto you like that. So, I apologize. Everyone has their own way of dealing with things, and I should have respected that. I was worried and scared of losing you. I know that doesn’t give me the right to push you like I did, but I just wanted you to know that I care about you.”

“Oh? Well then, I appreciate the concern.”

“Also… ummm… I should never have asked to sleep on the bed next to you. I wasn’t thinking and it was completely inconsiderate of me. I’m very sorry Akaashi.” Oikawa bowed his head.

“It’s fine. I was so tired that night I was barely even listening to you anyways.”

“Well I’m here to help now, but this time on your terms, if you’ll let me.” Oikawa said hopefully.

“What can you possibly do anyways?” Akaashi asked flatly.

“Maybe not much. Actually, maybe nothing at all, but I want you to know that I’m here for you. I’m always willing to listen if you want to talk.”

“What do you want me to say? The LOVE OF MY LIFE IS DEAD and I’m falling apart because I don’t know what to do!” Akaashi yelled.

Finally, Akaashi was able to unseal that bottle of emotions that he had stored away upon hearing Bokuto passed away. They were such simple words. ‘The love of my life is dead’, but their meaning was anything but simple. The person he had grown attached to, depended on, relied on, and loved was dead. Akaashi felt as if he no longer had anyone to lean on, but he also felt like there was no one left that needed him. He and Bokuto had grown so close and they each felt they gave each other meaning to the other’s life, and they would be alright as long as they were together. To suddenly have that all snatched away from him in the blink of an eye was too much for Akaashi to cope with, so he just started shutting down. He pushed everyone away and allowed himself to rebuild his walls ten times as high and a hundred times thicker than before. That way no one would be able to see into his crumbling heart.

Oikawa had some how managed to give Akaashi the key he was searching for. The key that unlocked the padlock and chain he had wrapped around that airtight container sealing away his emotions and feelings. Akaashi had been desperately scrambling and searching for that key but had come up empty. He had no idea how or where he had hidden it, but now his friend had presented it before him in the form of acceptance. 

Iwaizumi had been right to give them their space for a couple weeks because now Akaashi had actually willingly opened up to him. Oikawa had made a simple offer to hear his friend out and do nothing but listen, and Akaashi had actually opened up to him. It was the first time Akaashi had actually willingly spoke to him about his feelings, granted he did yell at him, but still. All Oikawa had offered was his time and patience, and it was Akaashi that had brought it up on his own. Oikawa gave his friend a soft fond smile, and Akaashi looked at him curiously.

“What?” Akaashi asked curiously.

“Nothing, I’m just really happy you shared with me.”

Akaashi was a little confused. He had no idea why his friend would be so happy, just because he talked to him, but then he realized he had been ignoring practically everyone for the past two weeks. Even when he managed to spend a couple hours with Kuroo, they never talked, let alone talked about their feelings. Bokuto had always been the only one Akaashi felt comfortable sharing his feelings with, and yet here he was telling Oikawa how he felt.

Over the time Akaashi had spent locked up in his room he had never once admitted to himself that Bokuto was gone. Although, others had told him Bokuto was dead and Akaashi had acknowledged their words, he had never once said it himself; therefore, he hadn’t admitted it to himself either. But, just then after sharing those few words with Oikawa, he felt a small heaviness lift off his chest.

“Aka-chan you’re crying.” Oikawa said a little surprise hinting his voice.

Akaashi’s expression became more confused. No, he wasn’t crying. His hands traveled up to his face and rubbed at his cheeks, and sure enough he was indeed crying. His hands had come back wet and his cheeks were stained with tears. His vision began to blur and soon the tears fell faster and harder. He bit his lips to prevent the strangled noises trying to escape his mouth.

“It’s alright Aka-chan, you can let it out. I am here if you need me.” Oikawa said.

Surprisingly Akaashi pulled Oikawa into a tight hug, and his body immediately caved into the warmth of Oikawa’s arms. It had been weeks since he felt such warmth. Why had he thought it didn’t exist anymore? Oikawa was surprised by the ebony-haired man’s willingness to be held. Akaashi had only ever allowed himself to be like this with Bokuto, and Oikawa wasn’t sure what he should do. He didn’t want to ruin the moment by accidently saying or doing something wrong. Instead he remained still and didn’t say a word, he let Akaashi hug him tightly, but he didn’t return the hug or pull away. He simply ever so gently rested his arms on his friend’s back. Oikawa wanted very much to be Akaashi's support, but from previous failed attempts, he had come to learn he couldn't force it. Akaashi released his clenched teeth and then the sobs came pouring out. His breath caught in his chest as his sobs came on harder and unrelenting to the point it was hard to breath.

“P-pplease don’t l-leave me-ee.” Akaashi sobbed.

Normally Oikawa would have told Akaashi that everything was alright, and that he was there for him, but he found that silence worked best for Akaashi. Also, those words were clearly not meant for him, and it wouldn’t feel right to answer them. He did however gently pull Akaashi closer and allow his distraught friend to sob into his shoulder. Akaashi went on crying for a good solid hour. He probably would have cried longer but he had nothing left to cry out; all his tears had dried up and his eyes stung. As his loud strangled sounds started to die down, his breaths evened out allowing him to get more oxygen to his brain. He gripped Oikawa tighter with his forehead pressed into the other man’s shoulder.

Suddenly, Akaashi realized he was still in his pajamas. He was in his short-sleeved pajama shirt in his bed without the covers on, and he was hugging Oikawa tightly. Shit! The other would definitely see them like this. Akaashi quickly pulled away from Oikawa’s hug and wrapped himself back in the comforter and leaped off the bed at least six feet away from the other.

“Okay, I feel much better now. you can leave.” Akaashi’s voice was laced with desperation, and it made Oikawa worry further.

“What’s wrong Aka-chan?” Oikawa questioned softly.

“Nothing! I’m fine, everything’s good! I just need to get changed.” Akaashi’s voice rose an octave and he practically screamed his response.

“Hey, hey. Calm down, I will leave. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to upset you.” Oikawa said in a sad tone.

Just when he was starting to gain his friend’s trust, he had messed it up again. Oikawa had no idea what he did wrong, especially since Akaashi’s outburst seemed to have come out of nowhere, but what else could it be? It had to have been Oikawa’s fault, right? Oikawa slowly got up to leave looking with a sad expression at his friend as he neared the door, but before he could exit the room Kuroo and Iwaizumi came dashing in. They had heard Akaashi last outburst and got worried.

“What’s wrong Akaashi?” Kuroo asked glancing between his roommate and Oikawa.

“Nothing! You all need to **LEAVE NOW**!” Akaashi shouted.

Kuroo turned to look at Oikawa for answers.

“I’m not sure. One minute he was crying in my arms and the next he was yelling at me to leave. I probably upset him.”

“No! It wasn’t you Oikawa-san.” Akaashi said hesitantly, not wanting to make his friend feel bad for having done nothing wrong.

Kuroo gave his roommate a questioning glance. Akaashi appeared to be scared, fear clearly written in his eyes, and a strange, uncharacteristic desperation in his voice. Kuroo slowly approached him and held out his hand.

“Then what’s wrong Akaashi?” Kuroo asked.

“I-I need to change. Can you all please leave?”

“We will leave, but first you have to promise me that you’re alright. Bo would kill me if I left you when you actually really needed someone, so I will ask one last time. Are you sure you’re alright?”

At the mention of his lover’s name Akaashi’s resolve broke. Tears streamed his face again, and his eyes stung worse than before; he was such a mess and causing so much trouble for his friends. He was terrified of them finding out, but he also wasn’t sure how much longer he could hide them. He knew that if he insisted he was fine, his friends would walk out that door, right now because they respected the boundaries he put up, but he honestly wasn’t sure if he wanted them to go. He wasn’t sure he wanted to lie to them anymore, to pretend he was fine, when he clearly wasn’t. Before he could change his mind Akaashi dropped the comforter to the floor. He gingerly fiddled with his hands pulling at the skin around his nails not daring to meet the others’ gazes as he waited for them to notice.

“Aka-chan, did you...?” Oikawa’s voice sounded horrified.

Akaashi still didn’t look up: he was too afraid to see the looks on his friends' faces. They were probably all disgusted with him. Both arms were covered in cuts: he had continued using the blade after the first time he tried it. It was the only time he was able to feel anything, and it allowed him to pretend he was alright for a couple hours each day. Concentrating on the pain took his mind off the empty feeling in his heart, and the numbness after losing Bokuto. He couldn’t find the key that opened his jar of feelings and emotions, so instead he turned to the blade to feel something. Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around him and squeezed his guts out. Kuroo had lunged forward capturing the younger man in a tight embrace.

“How? When? I thought I was keeping a close eye on you.” Kuroo whispered into Akaashi’s ear.

“No, Kuroo-san it’s not your fault. I was careful because I didn’t want you to find out. I did it in the bathroom with a razor blade while the water was running. I made sure to clean up afterwards. I hid the blade, and I would bandage my arms and was careful to always wear long sleeves in front of you. There was no way you could have known. I did everything possible to hide it from you.”

“Dammit Akaashi, why couldn’t you just tell me you were hurting so badly?” Kuroo’s eyes were filled with unshed tears.

“Even if I had, you wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it.”

Kuroo winced. Akaashi was right, he would have had no idea what to do if Akaashi had told him he was thinking about self-harming. Kuroo was such a mess himself that he wouldn't have been able to do anything for Akaashi. Wow he really failed Bokuto this time. How could he let the one thing Bokuto cared about most in this world get hurt? How did he let it get to this point? How come he hadn’t noticed? He should have noticed!

“Kuroo-san, no matter what you might be thinking right now, this was not your fault. I wasn’t thinking, I was being stupid, but after the first time it was harder to stop so I kept going...”

“You aren’t stupid Akaashi! You were just hurting, and I’m sorry I didn’t notice it. I'm sorry I couldn't help you.”

“I hated myself for continuing to do it, but it was the only thing that I thought could give me what I wanted, what I needed.”

“What did you need?”

“I wanted to feel Bokuto-san next to me, his hair, his hands, his heat. I wanted his touch, I wanted to feel the way he made me feel. I wanted to feel the pain and the hurt that losing him should have made me feel. I just wanted to feel something. I needed to feel anything, and pain seemed to be the only answer. It was the only thing I could feel through the numbness. I really regret it now. I haven’t done it in almost four days.”

“Akaashi, I think we both need a little bit of help.” Kuroo hesitated before continuing. “Your parents offered to have you at home for awhile so they could watch over you. I obviously wasn’t doing a good enough job. I think you should accept their offer. They might be able to give you the help that I couldn't. I am not telling you leave because I want you to, but I honestly think it would be best. I should have accepted their offer sooner, but I was being selfish. I told them no because I needed you here, but I wasn’t thinking about what was best for you, or what you might have needed. I’m so sorry. I don’t know how to help you through this, and I don’t want you to keep going on like this.”

“No please Kuroo-san! Don’t send me away! I promise, I won’t do it again! Please don’t make me leave… this wasn’t your fault… please don’t make me go. This is my home.” Akaashi sobbed. 

“Akaashi I won’t make you go. You are still free to choose, I just don’t think we can help each other in the ways that each of us needs right now. I know I certainly don’t have the qualifications to help you, but I also think we need to help ourselves before we can help each other. No matter what you choose, this will always be your home, and if you choose to go to your parents you can always come back when the time is right. I won’t make you go, but I think you should seriously consider it.”

“I understand Kuroo-san.” Akaashi said softly tears streaming down his face again.

Akaashi didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to leave, but he also had to admit that he wasn’t doing so well right now. He couldn’t put that kind of pressure on Kuroo to watch over him, and despite his words earlier, he wasn’t sure he could promise them he wouldn’t do it again. He had managed to stop himself for the past few days, but even that had been difficult, and now that he had unlocked that box of emotions, he felt an overwhelming guilt for making all of his friends worry so much. He also held Kuroo’s opinion in high regard, and if Kuroo truly believed that moving back in with his parents for awhile was the best decision, that was all the reason he needed to believe it. After all, he still had a place to come back to if it didn’t work out with his parents.

“I promise I will come visit you a lot. We all will. Another thing… Iwaizumi suggested I go see a professional to help me work through my feelings…. I think I’m going to take him up on that offer, and I think you should too.”

“There is no shame in it Akaashi. It doesn’t mean you are weak or stupid or broken. It just means you are strong enough to admit you might need a little help, and there is nothing wrong with that. I know a really nice therapist who helped me for years after my parents died, I could introduce the two of you if you want.” Iwaizumi added.

“I don’t know…” Akaashi hesitated.

“It’s alright Aka-chan. It’s a lot to think about, you don’t have to decide right now. Let’s just start with baby steps. You said you would move back in with your parents for awhile? That is already a pretty big decision. Let’s just focus on one thing at a time. Alright?” Oikawa encouraged.

“A-alright.” Akaashi agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a quick summary of the twenty second chapter:
> 
> \- The day after Bokuto's death Kuroo tries to get Akaashi to eat something, but when he fails he accidently ends up yelling at him. Kuroo tries to get his anger under control and feel better by taking misty for a walk, which only ends up making him feel worse.  
> \- Hinata and Terushima stay home from school for awhile until Hinata's mother intervenes. She talks to the boys about their feelings and encourages them to go back to school. Both start school again, but it is still hard.  
> \- Kyoutani has been angry at everyone and acting aggressively. This got him fired from his job, so to pass the time he ends up training until he is exhausted. Matsukawa and Hanamaki help him realize that he is covering his fear about losing his family with anger.  
> \- Matsukawa, Hanamaki, Kindaichi, and Kunimi decide to join the family now that they are all that is left and Yaku is dead.  
> \- Suga tries one last time to talk with Daichi, who is still ignoring him. When it is unsuccessful and they both say some hurtful words, Suga decides to leave.  
> \- Tobio decides to leave with Suga so that he can quit being a hunter and have the chance to make things right with Hinata.  
> \- Iwaizumi was acting irritated because he was upset, and Oikawa began obssesively studying to occupy his mind. They decided they needed to be upfront with each other and support each other after having a conversation instead of hiding from their emotions.  
> \- Oikawa told Iwaizumi how he messed up with Akaashi and wanted to apologize. They decide to let their friends have some time and space to process the information for two weeks before checking on them.  
> \- Kuroo is still angry all the time even at really stupid small things, until he realizes it is affecting the atmosphere of the house and his pets. He decides to push down his emotions, ignore what he needs, and focus on the others, especially Akaashi.  
> \- Akaashi has totally closed himself off from everyone and everything. He has bottled up his emotions so tightly to the point where he can't feel anything anymore and shuts down. In an attempt to cope he starts cutting his arms hoping it will bring back his feelings.  
> \- After waiting two weeks Iwaizumi talks to Kuroo about what he needs because he is only thinking about the others. He recommends seeing a therapist and letting Akaashi move back in with his parents until they both get the help they need.  
> \- Oikawa apologizes to Akaashi and offers to listen if he wants to talk. Akaashi ends up yelling that Bokuto is dead which triggers a rush emotions to surge back to him and tears.  
> \- Oikawa, Iwaizumi, and Kuroo end up finding out about Akaashi's cuts. Kuroo suggests Akaashi move back in with his parents where he can get the help Kuroo can't offer him. Akaashi reluctantly agrees.


	23. A Glance Into the Future

15 years later...

It started out as nothing more than a pipe dream; it was a simple thought that came to him one day, and never seemed to leave his mind. It was an unreachable goal. No, more like an unrealistic wish. A wish for a better future; a better future where werewolves had someone to look out for them. A future where werewolves didn’t have to be so misunderstood. A future that Bokuto could be proud of, and where the beginnings of equality could take shape. The more he thought about his unrealistic wish, the more he felt the need to do something about it. I mean, if he didn’t do anything about it, then who would?

Kuroo took it upon himself to strive for this better future that he couldn’t stop thinking about. He wanted, no needed, to do something to spark a little change. If Bokuto’s death had taught him anything, it was that this world needed a change. The people needed to be educated, werewolves needed a safe place, and hunters needed to realization what they were doing was wrong. Kuroo thought long and hard about how he could make his dream a reality, how he could pass on Bokuto’s love to the world, and how he could create what it was he envisioned for the future. When he finally figured out what it was, he wanted, he then had to figure out how to accomplish it. After all, it was a big dream he was trying to accomplish. 

After completing his schooling to become a Veterinarian Technician Kuroo realized that wasn’t truly what he wanted to do with his life. He had plans for bigger things and for that he needed a business degree, so he went back to school and studied business. The black-haired man talked about his dream constantly. He told everyone that they could have a position there once he made it happen. At first everyone just smiled at him not truly believing it was feasible, but with every year that went by Kuroo got closer to making it a reality until he did. He had taken his business degree and started his own company from scratch. He put in hours upon hours of hard work to reach his goal, and he studied and absorbed everything he could about starting his own business.

Kuroo was fortunate enough to have luck on his side, hard work, and the right people to make it happen. He had done it! He had actually managed to start his own company that acted more like an organization of sorts. The goal of his new organization was to protect werewolves and humans a like. They would offer educational classes to anyone who was willing to listen, provide shelter and medical attention to any werewolves fleeing from difficult situations, and help connect humans and werewolves in a safe and controlled environment. They would educate the public further on the subject of werewolves, and their true nature. They would deal with werewolf and human relations as well as protect both; they would protect werewolves from bad people, and people from bad werewolves. It was the only organization of its kind, and could only be found in Tokyo, but the owner planned on expanding the business as much as possible to other cities, and eventually other countries. At least that was his hope. 

In the process of completing his business degree, Kuroo was reconnected with Kenma. Given some time and an explanation for the situation Kenma had found him in when he was practically forced to join the hunting organization, Kuroo couldn’t help but forgive the man. They started hanging out again because they both attended the same university, and one thing led to another and pretty soon they were dating. Not long after Kenma graduated from university, he moved in with Kuroo and Akaashi, into the same house they used to live with Bokuto. The three of them got along splendidly: Akaashi and Kenma quickly becoming close friends and ganging up to tease Kuroo. Kenma got himself a job working with computers and making a lot of money on the side as a gamer. He continued like this until Kuroo finished his schooling, at which point he quit his job and helped Kuroo start his company. Kenma took care of all the technical aspects, maintaining the website, and spreading the word about their cause. He was practically the brains behind the operation while his boyfriend dealt more with the business side of things. Kuroo kept track of everything needed to run a business and maintained relations between other companies and businesses; he gained connections that would ultimately help their organization and protect them against any governmental retaliation without damaging the reputation of the government in the process.

As for their roommate and best friend Akaashi, he put off his schooling for a couple years after Bokuto’s death and ended up staying with his parents like Kuroo had suggested. He took that time on getting the help he needed and recovering his health. It was about two years before he returned to school and completed his Vet Tech program. That first year was one of the worst of his life. At the beginning his emotions were all over the place; he would go from feeling completely and utterly empty and broken one day to being a sobbing mess the next. He was angry, and hurt, and depressed, and he didn’t know how to deal with it all. His parents tried a couple different things without any success; Akaashi felt like he was being smothered by them some days. He really wished he hadn’t moved back in with them. Despite their best efforts, he always seemed to be angry at them.

As more time passed and the three of them settled into a routine and his parents started giving him more space, which led Akaashi to slowly start opening up about how he was feeling. His friends went to visit him often, like they promised they would. Slowly, with the support of his family, and some professional help he began returning to his old self again. He was still sad, and some days he couldn’t bring himself to get out of bed, but he was steadily improving. Every day felt like a fight for control over his mind and emotions, but he started feeling like he was winning more of those battles. During his second year off, he was back to a regular routine; he stopped skipping meals, he hung out with his friends more often, he was more open about how he was feeling with the people closest to him, and he felt he was ready to get back to school. 

After finishing his last semester in the vet tech program, he transferred over to vet school. Around the time he transferred into vet school, Akaashi also moved back in with Kuroo. During his schooling, Akaashi took a couple courses overseas for exotic animal medicine. School was harder than it used to be because he was still dealing with his personal problems. With every year that passed things became easier. That’s not to say he forgot the pain because he certainly didn’t; he still felt lonely, he still felt like a piece of him was missing, he still felt sad, and he still rarely smiled. He had more or less reverted to a time before he met Bokuto; although, a couple things were different: the loneliness was new, being open and honest with his friends was new, and the heaviness in his heart was new. He had never known these things before Bokuto because he had never gotten attached enough to feel that way before the werewolf came along. There was no doubt that Bokuto had brightened Akaashi’s world, changed him for the better. They had both pushed each other to grow in the most amazing ways, and without him there, Akaashi felt a hole in his heart that Bokuto had once occupied, but he also gained new things that hadn’t left when Bokuto died. His precious family was one of those things.

When Akaashi came back from his last oversea visit, Kuroo and Kenma more or less already had the company up and running. It was still small and not well known, but it was a good start. Akaashi became the primary veterinarian for the organization and was content with saving the lives of werewolves in need. He felt like he was making a difference in the world, and it was a good feeling. He needed as much good as he could get in his life.

Konoha hadn’t found out about Bokuto’s death until a week after it happened. He wasn’t with the others when it happened because he had decided to stay home in order to study for his upcoming exams. He studied hard and aced his exams, but after they were done, he got a call from Akaashi’s parents informing him of the news. With everyone thrown into chaos, nobody had remembered to inform Konoha of what had happened; therefore, Akaashi’s mother had been the one to inform him accidentally when she was calling to check up on him. After finishing his schooling Konoha worked for Akaashi’s parents for awhile until changing over to help Kuroo’s company. He became the secondary vet, and sometimes the primary when Akaashi was away.

After promising Bokuto he would take care of the hunters, Suga did just that. He got them all together and they talked. After lots of convincing, and maybe a couple threats Suga had gotten all of the hunters except for one to quit their jobs. Tsukishima was the only one who refused to quit, and instead settled on transferring to a different branch of the organization. Without any hunters left in Tokyo, the hunting organization was forced to concentrate their efforts in other areas. This allowed Kuroo’s company to rise up and take the place of the hunters eight years later. Daichi did finally agree to quit hunting, but his opinion of werewolves never changed, and Suga officially divorced him and got primary custody of Tobio upon the boy’s request. They lived with Kuroo for awhile, while Akaashi was staying at his parents’ place, and then when Daichi decided to leave Tokyo, he left the house to Suga and their son. Suga spent a lot of time focusing on his café; he was glad he had a business to fall back on once he quit the hunting scene. For awhile all he did was work and be the best dad he could be to his son. After years of waiting he was finally able to leave the café behind and join the organization that had been Kuroo’s dream for years now. Suga was a vet assistant since he had gotten good at treating wolves despite not actually having the schooling for it, he also worked closely with Kuroo on building connections and maintaining relations.

The silver-haired man also had a secret self-given mission; he wanted to expose the hunting operations to the public that the government kept hidden. The task proved to be much more difficult than he originally thought because he couldn’t just accuse them with no evidence, or the claims would just be denied. This could also pose a threat to Kuroo’s company, and they couldn’t risk that. It was still a fairly new business, and despite having some great connections and good relations with other strong businesses, they couldn’t mess with the government without evidence. The government was good at covering up their tracks and keeping their operations secret, so the silver-haired man requested some help. Suga let Kenma in on his secret mission so they could collect enough evidence one day to get the hunting organization shut down for good. It is still a work in progress to this day, and will probably take many more years, but they still had some time.

Oikawa completed med school and decided instead of working at a hospital, he would become a doctor for Kuroo’s company. He was one of the top students in his class and was offered jobs by all kinds of places when he graduated because of the promise he showed. In the end when he chose his family over the other offers, people told him he would be throwing his career away by wasting his talents at such a place, but he knew that was where he belonged. He never once regretted his decision, and he was quite happy working with everyone at the company. He took care of all the human related injuries and was damn good at it. Working alongside his family to accomplish a common goal for the greater good, was one of the best feelings in the world. It allowed him to finally be able to look back on his memories of Bokuto with fondness, like Iwaizumi had once told him they should strive to achieve. 

As for Iwaizumi he worked his way up the ranks within the construction company he worked for, eventually being given a boss position when his mentor retired. He gave Kuroo discounts on affordable housing for the people and werewolves they saved, as well as helped look for suitable places for the patients to live. This was a great help because Kuroo hadn’t realized he would need to consider what to do after helping the patients; he never planned for anything beyond taking care of the patients. With Iwaizumi’s contribution they didn’t have to send the patients back out onto the streets if they didn’t have a place to live or anywhere to go, and probably most importantly they didn't have to send the patients back into the messes they had saved them from in the first place. Instead they could offer them an affordable place to stay and set them in the direction to building a new life for themselves. This included helping them get jobs at some of the other businesses Kuroo had good connections with.

Once Kindaichi and Kunimi were old enough they left the family, curious about the rest of the world. This left Matsukawa and Hanamaki with less responsibility of watching over the younger werewolves. They were then able to contribute to the company. They were in charge of educating the public on werewolves; they painted a better picture in the minds of the humans who had been told werewolves were dangerous beasts to be avoided. Once the company grew in popularity, they were often invited to schools to properly educate the students about werewolves. It was one of their greatest opportunities to begin changing the way people thought about werewolves. Their contributions to the company and the better future they were all striving for were priceless.

Kyoutani was their consultant and helped come up with ways they could better inform the public about the discrimination and how it should be addressed. He was often the one to come up with lesson plans, but never actually went to the schools because of his lack of people skills. Hanamaki and Matsukawa were a good fit for that part: they got along well with all kinds of people and were well spoken, and Kyoutani was content to remain behind the scenes. He was also in charge of werewolf training; he taught any werewolves who didn’t already know, about the code, and how to control their abilities. He also taught them how to act around humans, life skills necessary to fit into human society, and how to protect themselves without causing too much trouble. The world was beginning to change, but it wasn’t quite there yet. If a werewolf and a human were caught in an altercation, and the werewolf accidentally hurt the human even if it was in self defense, the werewolf would most likely take the blame. For that reason, Kyoutani had decided to come up with some lessons he could teach to minimize this possibility. Of course, nothing could be completely prevented, but it never hurt to take precautions to lessen the chances. 

While Tobio was living with Kuroo, the black-haired man acted as a go between with Hinata. He slowly helped reconnect the two individuals. Although, he helped Tobio, he was still adamant that Tobio not push the relationship. If Hinata never wanted anything to do with him again, he would have to respect that, and if he didn’t Kuroo would take drastic measures to ensure Tobio never saw Hinata again. It took an enormous amount of patience and a lot of time, but by the end of high school everything was worked out, and they were good friends again. Except now Tobio didn’t just have Hinata but also Terushima too; although, Terushima took a lot longer to accept Tobio, eventually the three of them were close enough to move out together sharing rent so that it was less expensive. Given even more time and they became inseparable. Before graduating Hinata knew he wanted to fit in somewhere within the company Kuroo wanted to build, but he wasn’t sure what that would be. He didn’t really want to go to university or college since he was bad at school, but he still wanted to help.

One day, a year after graduating while Hinata, Terushima, and Tobio were working the same shift at their job, Terushima jokingly stated he wished he could travel the world. Hearing those words everything came together for Hinata. He wanted to travel the world finding people or rather werewolves in need and direct them to Kuroo’s doorstep, where they would receive the help they needed. Hinata was overjoyed and couldn’t help but enthusiastically explain his plan to the others. The other two boys couldn’t have agreed more, and from that day forward the three of them worked as much as possible to save up money. When the company was up and running, they used the money they saved from years of hard work to travel all over. They started out closer at first but eventually extended their reach outside of Japan. It was fun being able to travel all over and learning new customs and languages. But far more important than it being fun, they contributed to the change they wished to see realized.

A couple years after being part of the company the three boys ran into Yamaguchi at a new café that stood where Suga’s used to be. Yamaguchi was the manager and had been working there for about four years now. The four of them sat down to talk over drinks, and Yamaguchi was thrilled to hear of their adventures and to know they were part of such an amazing cause. In fact, he was so thrilled that he joined them on their adventures. After spending time reconnecting and becoming comfortable with one another again Yamaguchi and Terushima ended up dating months later. It turned out Yamaguchi also had a crush on Terushima back in high school, but never had the courage to admit it.

* * *

It had taken a lot to get to this point. There was so much time and effort put into this; everybody had worked so hard so that they could see their shared dream realized. The organization was such a good idea and all the right people had come together to make it happen. Akaashi couldn’t have asked for anything more. It was perfect, and Bokuto would have been so proud of everyone. Bokuto’s love and ideals lived on in the form of memories stored within the hearts of the ones he left behind. His family had taken those memories, ideals, and love, and transformed them into his legacy. A legacy that would hopefully never be forgotten long after they too died.

Bokuto’s legacy stood before him in the form of a tall solid building. The company Kuroo had built from the ground up with the help and support from the rest of the family. The company that had started off as nothing more than wishful thinking. Each and everyone of them had poured their hearts and souls into making this place a reality. The company was now running smoothly, fifteen years to the day after Bokuto's death. Akaashi admired everyone’s hard work with a genuine smile as he stood staring at the building from across the street. He carried a cardboard box packed full of every day office items from his desk. Bokuto would certainly be proud of everything they had accomplished together as a family. Everyone was finally in a good place and Akaashi couldn’t help but smile at the thought. He sent one last glance over his shoulder at the building before turning away. A large banner that hung above the entrance caught the corner of his eye and made him smile softly. The banner read ‘Bokuto’s Family’ in big solid block letters. What a fitting name for the company he thought to himself. 

Akaashi threw the box into the back of his car and drove himself home. Kuroo and Kenma should be out on a date tonight and he would have the whole house to himself. When Akaashi arrived home, he was greeted by Misty who slowly made her way over to him for some head pats. She was getting older now and no longer bounded up to greet everyone at the door the moment they walked in. At seventeen years of age, she was considered old for a dog her size and had slowed down considerably, but she always had just enough energy to quietly beg for attention. Akaashi made his way into the kitchen and gathered all the ingredients he needed to make homemade sushi rolls. He had bought all the ingredients the day before to prepare for today. He quietly indulged the silence of the house and began rolling up the sushi in the same manner Bokuto had taught him all those years ago. He was considerably better at it now, and the contents of his rolls no longer spilled out of their seaweed wrapping. He had also gotten much better at choosing good food combinations compared to the weird taste he had created back when he and Bokuto did this together.

After he finished with the sushi, he placed it in a basket that he put into the fridge. He grabbed Bokuto’s favourite blanket from out of his room and folded it over the back of the couch so he wouldn’t forget it later. Akaashi remembered when he had asked Bokuto why he wanted to buy that blanket despite it not matching the colors of his room. Akaashi can still remember crystal clear the answer he was given. Apparently, it reminded him of Akaashi’s eyes, and the fact that it was soft and fluffy made it ten times better. The blanket was old now, no longer as soft, and fluffy as it once was due to the amount of times it had been washed. Kuroo had told him that they should just throw it out and get a new one, but he didn’t know the significance it held for Akaashi, and Akaashi had never told him. As soon as Akaashi was about to walk away, Apple Pie made his appearance and pulled the blanket down onto the couch and curled up to take a nap on it. That also brought back memories for Akaashi; many days after work he would come home to find Bokuto and Apple Pie snuggled up together. Bokuto would be wrapped up in that very blanket, and Apple Pie would be curled up contently purring in Bokuto’s lap. Whenever he would see that, he couldn’t help but smile and gaze at the two a little bit longer. To this day Bokuto is still the only one Apple Pie would ever fall asleep on and purr with.

The house was wrapped up in so many memories that you couldn’t look at anything without recalling a past memory about Bokuto. But it wasn’t just the house that held memories of Bokuto, it was his parent’s clinic, the forest, the university, many parks, the café where Suga's cafe used to be, Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s place, Kyoutani’s apartment complex, Tokyo. Everywhere he looked reminded him of his lover. Even just being with the family was a huge reminder of Bokuto because they all carried a small piece of him within themselves.

Akaashi strolled out the back door and entered what used to be Bokuto’s room. The room had since been turned into an office for Kenma and Kuroo’s business meetings; it was an unspoken rule that no one could ever live in that room again, but they needed a place for an office as the company began to grow. They came to an agreement that it could be the office as long as nobody else ever lived in there, and the picture wall had to stay. Akaashi stepped into the room that seemed so much smaller with all of Kuroo and Kenma’s things in there. The first place he looked when he entered was the picture wall. True to their agreement the pictures of their shared memories that Bokuto had plastered to the wall remained in pristine condition, untouched, and unobstructed. The wall was almost completely covered in pictures, and Akaashi could clearly remember every memory that went along with each photograph.

With every photo that crossed his vision a memory followed. There were many pictures from the day he Bokuto and Kuroo had cleaned out the old garage and prepared it to be turned into a room. A picture of Kuroo’s old art that Bokuto and Kuroo had found that day. A picture of Kuroo attempting to dance with a mop in his hands to the loud music they had turned up to maximum volume that day. Bokuto with his mouth wide open vacuuming the floors. That was one of Akaashi’s favourite pictures from that day because it reminded him of Bokuto’s loud off-key singing that he had been doing when that photo was taken. Then there was a picture of Akaashi who had been caught off guard by Kuroo who had sneaked in a shot of him wiping down the walls. His face in that picture wasn’t exactly flattering, and Akaashi had begged Bokuto to leave it off the wall, but Bokuto insisted that any picture of Akaashi was beautiful and it needed to be put with the others.

There were also multiple pictures of the day Kuroo and Bokuto had managed to get themselves kicked out of nearly every furniture store in Tokyo. Bokuto had been surprised to find out that Kuroo had taken a bunch of pictures that day, and convinced him to get some developed, so that Bokuto could plastered them up on his wall. There was one of Bokuto on the ground tangled up in some ripped curtains, there was one of Bokuto apologizing to a store clerk, one of Bokuto and Kuroo bouncing on mattresses, and a couple selfies Kuroo had taken while they had apparently been racing each other up and down the aisles in shopping carts. Akaashi was slightly disappointed he had missed that day; he would have loved to see Bokuto and Kuroo’s antics firsthand. Then again Akaashi would have had to be the one to apologize for everything, and if he was present, he would have made sure the two had behaved themselves. Akaashi chuckled to himself.

His eyes wandered over to a couple other photos. There were a couple of Bokuto at work with his co-workers when he had briefly worked at the café for Suga. He looked good in the uniform, serving food and drinks. Hinata and Bokuto had taken many selfies with the food Bokuto cooked, some with Yamaguchi as a surprise guest. There were multiple pictures from Bokuto’s morning runs; some were of Misty, some were selfies of the two of them, some were just pictures of the gorgeous park he ran through. Akaashi's favourite out of that bunch was one of Kuroo hunched over in the middle of the path with Misty staring at her owner. Kuroo had obviously been out of breath and struggling to keep up with Bokuto. Akaashi wished he had gone on at least one run with Bokuto. He probably wouldn’t have been able to keep up at all, but he would have liked the chance to observe Bokuto on one of his runs. Pictures of Apple Pie and Bokuto snuggled up together were also included with the ones of Misty. The wall also included multiple pictures both Kuroo and Akaashi had taken of Bokuto working in the kitchen. It was always fun to watch Bokuto cook because he took it so seriously. Everything he made looked so easy and effortless, but Akaashi knew it wasn’t so simple; he had tried to cook following some of the recipes Bokuto had left behind, but nothing ever turned out right. Maybe he was just that bad at cooking.

The next set of pictures Akaashi remembered very clearly. It was the day he had practically tricked Bokuto into meeting his mother, so she could apologize for her behavior at their first dinner all together. There was a picture of Bokuto licking a melting vanilla ice cream cone covered in rainbow sprinkles. The ice cream was running down the cone onto his hand and he had some on his nose. The picture perfectly captured some of Bokuto’s childish tendencies. In contrast the picture of Akaashi eating his mint chocolate chip ice cream with a spoon out of a bowl demonstrated his maturity. That was of course until Akaashi remembered that he had been the one to suggest they get ice cream at eight o’clock in the morning. There was even a picture of Akaashi sitting on the bench in the park where he took Bokuto to wait for his mother’s arrival. That was the day Bokuto forgave his mother without receiving an official apology, and it was also the day Bokuto accepted the offer to work at the animal clinic.

Then of course there were all the pictures Akaashi had taken of Bokuto their first day together at the clinic. Most of those photos consisted of Bokuto with the animals that were staying at the clinic at that time. There was one with him and the super friendly tabby cat that loved pretty much everybody especially Akaashi. What was the cat's name again? Oh, well it had been a long time since then, he couldn’t be expected to remember every animal’s name that passed through the clinic. There was a picture of Bokuto with the over excitable Cocker Spaniel puppy that had nearly spilled a container of bleach that day. By far the most memorable picture of that day was the one of Stiles the Macaw parrot sitting on Bokuto’s broad shoulder. Akaashi would probably never forget that bird. For one, the bird had stunning plumage and beautiful coloring, for another because the bird hated everyone until he met Bokuto. It also reminded him of the most memorable thing about the day that photo was taken. It was Bokuto singing Jingle Bells to the parrot who constantly demanded it from him.

The next picture that caught Akaashi’s attention was one of Bokuto and Konoha standing next to one another smiling. Akaashi remembered there was a time when the two of them hadn’t gotten along so well. Konoha once told him that he was incredibly jealous of Bokuto for spending so much time with Akaashi and Kuroo, and therefore, he hadn’t been very kind to Bokuto when they first met. Akaashi could also remember that huge fight they got into after Konoha had found out Bokuto was a werewolf. He couldn’t really remember the details of the argument anymore, but he remembered that Bokuto had been really upset. He also recalled how he and Kuroo had fallen asleep with Bokuto in his bed trying to comfort the man. It seemed so long ago, but I guess it kind of was. After Konoha and Bokuto had made up Konoha had come over to the house to try and make up with Akaashi and Kuroo; that’s when this next picture was taken. Akaashi and Kuroo both sat in their regular spots at each end of the couch, and then there was Bokuto sprawled out across the couch with his head in Akaashi’s lap, and his feet on Kuroo. Konoha must have taken it without them noticing.

Then of course there were probably far too many pictures of the many lessons he had given to Hinata and Oikawa to teach them about werewolves and their abilities. Akaashi had sat in on the majority of Oikawa’s lessons and could recall almost everything the pictures depicted; like the time he had offered to hold Bokuto’s hand on their walk home because the man was sulking due to Oikawa’s incessant teasing. Bokuto’s eyes had shone so brightly when Akaashi extended his arm for the other to grab. He had also sat in on a decent amount of lessons with Hinata, so those pictures were also very familiar to him. The scent tests with the candles, the hearing tests...

Some of his favourite pictures on the wall were of the day he Bokuto, and Hinata had taken Misty for a walk through one of the many parks around their house. At that time the flowers were all in full bloom, and the park was decorated and in blue hydrangea flowers, as well as purple lavender flowers, which could both be seen in the photo. One of the details he memorized that wasn’t present in the photograph was the small pond. There was a small pond that they had passed that was beautifully adorned with lotus flowers and the water was so clear, you could see the pebbles at the bottom. 

There was also a picture of the day Yaku had come over for dinner. Yaku was someone Akaashi hadn’t thought about in a very long time. He and the short werewolf had never really been that close; they had only seen each other a handful of times, and when Yaku came over for dinner was one of them. That was the day Akaashi had been accused of being a werewolf because the night before he had fallen asleep with his head nuzzled into Bokuto’s scent gland. Akaashi had been so embarrassed that day and had received so much teasing from Kuroo because Akaashi had been covered in Bokuto’s scent. That was one thing Akaashi still missed very much. The once sugary apple smell, that had changed to the smell of the sun, but only for him. That warm, sweet, calming smell, that could put Akaashi at ease no matter the situation. The smell of the sun. The smell of his lover Bokuto Koutarou, who was quite literally the sun to Akaashi. One of the only other times Akaashi had been able to see Yaku before he died was when he had showed up at their house with a family of wolves. That was certainly an interesting experience having so many strangers in the house, while Bokuto and Kuroo were at work.

The next grouping of pictures was practically a whole collage of just Hinata. Of course, that was mainly because Hinata had spent two weeks living with them after he had a run in with the hunters and Bokuto had to go and save him. Akaashi could still remembered the fear and panic he felt that day searching everywhere to find Hinata and Bokuto. He had been so afraid he lost them, but luckily, he was given a little bit more time with them. Bokuto had come back to them safe and sound, and Hinata was a nervous wreck unable to leave Bokuto’s side for even a second, but they were both alright. That was also around the time that Kyoutani started hanging around with Bokuto more often. The two older wolves had done an amazing job working together to rebuild Hinata’s shattered confidence. Akaashi could safely say that Hinata was doing well now; he got to travel around to new places accompanied by his best friends and help make a difference for wolves who had no one and no where to turn to.

There was even a picture of Kuroo, Konoha, and Akaashi having breakfast together before leaving for university. There were pictures of the three of them studying with coffee, tea, and snacks that Bokuto would quietly bring to them. Bokuto hated remaining quiet, but when the three of them were studying was probably one of the only times the werewolf actually managed it. As he moved further down the wall Akaashi began to see more and more pictures with the others. Terushima, Hinata, Kyoutani, Oikawa, Iwaizumi, and Konoha, they had all managed to make it onto Bokuto’s wall of memories. A picture of Terushima caught his eye and Akaashi recalled when Terushima had first joined their family. After he and Hinata had to be rescued by Bokuto and Kyoutani, Bokuto had given them a stern lecture. Akaashi can still clearly picture that scene because he had to be the one to comfort the boys and tell them Bokuto was just worried about. He also had to comfort Bokuto that day because the man was upset, he had yelled at the boys. Akaashi had held him close while Bokuto tucked his head into Akaashi’s chest leaning firmly against him. That was a nice feeling.

The remaining pictures were all from after Akaashi was attacked and released from the hospital. There was a really sweet photo of Akaashi sitting in his chair with his glasses on, reading a book. The calm peaceful atmosphere seemed to be encompassed in the picture, and for the first time Akaashi realized what an amazing photographer Bokuto was. All the pictures he had taken could be easily picked out from the others because they appeared almost professionally taken. There were pictures from the day Bokuto had escorted Akaashi around campus to explain his situation to all of his professors. To this day, Akaashi still isn’t quite sure why he hadn’t just gone with Bokuto’s suggestion to call them instead of lugging his injured, exhausted body around campus after only a couple days of being out of the hospital. That had been a stupid decision, but it had made for a great day in Bokuto's company. 

There was a selfie taken of Bokuto with his lips pressed against Akaashi’s cheek, while Akaashi was hardcore blushing. That particular picture reminded him of the day Bokuto confessed to him. The man had been pacing back and forth nervously causing Akaashi to get nervous only to be utterly shocked when Bokuto straight up said he was in love with him. Akaashi could still remember the shock he felt; he was so shocked for a minute he had thought he heard wrong and was about to have his heart broken into a million pieces when he realized what Bokuto had actually said to him. But none of that happened, because Bokuto had actually confessed to him. The next picture was one where Akaashi had made Bokuto flustered by giving him a surprise kiss. The photo was slightly blurry because he had made Bokuto so flustered that he jostled his phone, but it reminded him of their first kiss. Bokuto had ever so adorably asked to kiss him, and he had nodded shyly. It was a very sweet moment, one he would probably remember for the rest of his life. This blurry picture also reminded him of the time he had been so bold as to initiate a kiss to gain Bokuto’s attention. That kiss had led to some long-awaited touching, only to be shut down once Bokuto had remembered Akaashi was still recovering from his injuries. He had been bold that day not only to gain his lover’s attention but also because he had waited a long time to kiss Bokuto, and when he was finally able to, he couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He remembered thinking to himself that he should be bold more often because the reaction Bokuto had given him was so worth it.

The next picture was one of Akaashi looking dazed, still half asleep with messy black curls falling in every direction holding a mug of coffee, that Bokuto had most likely made for him. Akaashi couldn’t say he remembered this moment specifically, but he definitely recalled Bokuto always used to make him coffee in the mornings. It was always served steaming hot, bitter the way he liked it, and with a brilliant face splitting smile. The smile was probably the highlight of those mornings; they worked far better at waking Akaashi up than caffeine ever could. There were also multiple pictures of Akaashi and Bokuto together while he was at home doing his classes online. There was one that Kuroo had taken after getting home from work; Akaashi had his back pressed into Bokuto’s side while he was hard at work on his laptop. Bokuto had his hand placed on Akaashi’s head, running his hands through the black curls while they sat in the living room on the couch. Akaashi remembered being able to focus amazingly well that day because of Bokuto’s presence next to him. There was another picture that Akaashi just had to take because Bokuto had fallen asleep beside him while he was doing his schoolwork. Akaashi very distinctly remembered wanting to capture that moment forever in his mind because Bokuto was just too adorable, so he had paused his work and took out his phone to capture the picture. Bokuto’s hair was down and falling into his face, his eyes were shut, he wore a peaceful smile, and he had a small stream of drool pooling out of his slightly open mouth. It was amazing to think that Bokuto even slept with a smile on his face. There was another picture from that same day of Akaashi sleeping directly on top of Bokuto pinning him down leaving him unable to get up. Akaashi was asleep so he hadn’t known it at the time, but Kuroo had told him what happened later on. Kuroo told him that apparently Bokuto had tried to get up to make dinner, but Akaashi had mumbled Bokuto’s name and latched onto his shirt so that he couldn’t leave. To this day Akaashi still isn’t sure if Kuroo was telling the truth or just making fun of him, but he had to admit that sounded like something he would do. If he was awake his conscious mind would have overruled that kind of gesture, but he had to admit that there had been many times he had wanted to do that, so if he was asleep his rational mind couldn’t stop him from doing what he really wanted. So, there was a possibility Kuroo had been telling the truth.

Then of course, there were some pictures of the get together they had once Akaashi was mostly healed. It had taken him forever to convince Bokuto that he was well enough to see the others. That day certainly had a couple little issues: Akaashi had freaked out at Oikawa and become very overwhelmed by everyone, but as soon as he breathed in his lover's scent it put him at ease and he was able to remember he was among friends. Overall that night was a good one, despite the small little incidents. The next picture was one that Akaashi had taken and plastered to the wall himself. He wasn’t even sure Bokuto had ever noticed it or not, but he felt the need to put it up because of the significant memory attached to it. It was a picture of a shirtless Bokuto, standing in the morning glow seeping in through the window. It was the morning after Akaashi had snuck into Bokuto’s room because of a nightmare and had woken up to this glorious sight. It was also the morning Akaashi had convinced Bokuto to skip his morning run and stay with him instead. That was one of the best mornings he had ever spent with Bokuto.

The last cluster of photos were Akaashi’s all time favourites. They were the ones taken on their first and last official date. There were a couple of the two of them at the café. They had asked a couple strangers to take them for them. There were some of the two of them in the grocery store collecting ingredients for their picnic. There was one of all the sushi rolls they had made. It was very obvious which ones had been made by Akaashi because they were messily rolled, and the contents were spilling out. That picture brought to mind the memory of Bokuto hugging him from behind while trying to teach Akaashi the proper way to roll the sushi. They had been pressed against each other so close back then that Akaashi felt like he had a heating pack attached to his back. He remembered the way it felt when Bokuto laughed with his chest pressed to Akaashi’s back making the vibrations travel through both of their bodies. He remembered feeling like he could stay there forever; he wanted nothing more than to snuggle his head into Bokuto’s and freeze time to stay there for awhile longer. The next picture was one of Akaashi wrapped up in Bokuto’s navy blue scarf. Akaashi had been very cold that evening and Bokuto had lent him his beanie and scarf as well as his hand for warmth. Akaashi had complained that Bokuto would be cold, but in all honesty, he had no intentions of giving Bokuto his hat, scarf, or hand back even if the other had said he was cold. The scarf carried his sunshine scent, his hat carried the feeling of having Akaashi’s hair played with, and his hand carried his body heat, and Akaashi wasn’t about to return any of those feelings. He wanted to keep all those sensations for himself.

The last three photographs are by far the most beautiful ones on the wall. One is simply Akaashi’s silhouette in front of a beautifully painted sunset. The sky is pink and purple, orange and red, with a touch of yellow and blue. Akaashi’s face appears flawless and delicate in this particular picture that Bokuto had taken. His features are all in focus, but his eyes in particular shine the brightest emerald green he had ever seen them. The werewolf had once said he believed this picture encompassed all of the beautiful colors that radiated from Akaashi’s heart creating the most beautifully, stunning photo he had ever taken. When Akaashi looked at this picture of himself, he thought he just might be able to see a fraction of the beauty Bokuto had seen in him. The next picture was one of the brightly shining stars lighting up the night sky. That was by far the highlight of the whole wall, only because it reminded Akaashi of the conversations they had shared that night. The conversation about each other’s eyes, the conversation about the stars, the conversation about their hopes for the future, the silent conversation they shared when Akaashi kissed him, and the last words they uttered to each other being ‘I LOVE YOU’.

The final photo was Akaashi’s absolute favourite: a photograph he had managed to take himself. It turned out so much better than any of the others he had ever taken, and it had actually been an accident. He took out his phone so that he could show Bokuto something and had accidently ended up hitting the camera button. The accidental picture he had taken had captured Bokuto in all his glory and was by far the one picture Akaashi could say represented the man the best. Not that a simple photograph could ever, ever, ever even come close the Koutarou, but since it was all he had, this was the one he liked the best. Bokuto’s hair was left down and it was gently swept to the side out of his face by the wind. His intense, striking, golden eyes were drawn out by the sunset back drop painted in reds, oranges, and hints of yellow. But by far the best thing about it was it captured his smile perfectly. It wasn’t his teasing smile, it wasn’t his bored smile, it wasn’t his happy smile, it wasn’t his fake smile, it wasn’t his sad smile, it wasn’t the smile he used to cheer up others, it wasn’t the smile he wore when he slept, and it wasn’t even his brilliant face splitting smile. It was the genuine soft smile reserved for only Akaashi that made his eyes appear as if they were smiling too and showed his white teeth ever so slightly. It was also the only smile that made a small dimple on his left cheek visible.

Hours had passed with Akaashi getting lost in his best memories. He approached the wall slowly and ran a finger over that final picture. With soft fingers and a gentle touch, he pulled it from the wall. Akaashi made his way out of the office closing the door behind him without a second glance back at the wall of memories. He didn’t need to look at it again: every memory was already ingrained into his mind and heart, and he would never forget them. Akaashi clutched the picture in his hand close, careful not to crumple or damage it in the slightest. He made his way back to the kitchen and picked up his basket full of sushi, his favourite book, and Bokuto’s old, green, fuzzy blanket. Akaashi paused in front of the cat tree where Apple Pie was sleeping. The cat was very old now and didn’t leave his tree very often anymore. Akaashi gave the cat a couple sweet strokes on the top of his head, and the cat began to purr at him. A sweet quiet rumble that made his hand vibrate with the rhythm. He then proceeded to leave out the front door. He slowly strolled away from the house filled with memories and proceeded to move farther and farther away from it. As he walked, he didn’t look back. He listened to the breeze ruffle through the leaves, and he followed the sun’s rays on this lovely summer afternoon. As he looked skyward the sky shed a few tears, but the sun never relinquished its light to the white puffy clouds and remained as bright and constant as ever. 

“I love you Koutarou.” Akaashi whispered to the forest in passing.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I guess this brings us to the end. I still can't believe that I managed to write this in a week, but posting it took more than double the time because I got busy with school assignments. I had a lot of fun writing this and I am glad I convinced myself to share it. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I just wanted to thank everyone and anyone who took the time to read this because it means a lot to me. I also want to thank everyone for their kind words and encouragement on my work. Obviously, many things could be improved, but overall, I think this was a successful first attempt at this. Thanks again! Feel free to comment and leave kudos, or whatever else.


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